Australian authorities hunt for oil spill ship

The Maritime authorities responsible for a section of Australia's Great Barrier Reef are trying to track down a ship which dumped a 10 km-long oil slick.

Dinner-plate sized clumps of oil washing ashore in sections of the 2,300 km long reef system in north Queensland.

A clean-up operation has been underway for more than a week and damage to the reef has been eliminated.

Now the authorities have turned their focus on hunting down the ship which caused the contamination, AAP reported.

People are being urged to stay away from affected beaches at Forrest Beach near Ingham, Mulligan Bay on Hinchinbrook Island, Taylors Beach near Lucinda, and on Palm Island.

A fisherman first reported the oil spill near Cape Upstart, south of Townsville.

A transport department spokesman said oil samples from nine of 10 domestic tankers in the area at the time are being tested, in a bid to identify the culprit.

Four tankers which have left Australian waters will also be tested. Endi