Mystery over material next to Qld turtle

Mystery still surrounds the origin of black lumps of material that washed up on a central Queensland beach, encircling a baby turtle, authorities say.

Disturbing photos emerged earlier in the year of the black lumps washed up on East Point Beach in Mackay, near Hay Point, the largest coal port sitting on the Great Barrier Reef.

Initial concerns were that the material was coal, but Queensland's Department of Environment and Heritage Protection said tests had revealed the material contained magnetite, and laboratory analysis couldn't determine where it came from.