Four new records of stranded Kemp’s ridley turtle Lepidochelys kempii in the NW Iberian Peninsula

Background: The critically endangered Kemp’s ridley turtle (Lepidochelys kempii) has a reduced distribution range concentrated in the Gulf of Mexico and only a few pelagic stage juveniles occasionally strand on European coasts. In the study area only three individuals have been recorded previously, most recently in 2001. Results: Four new records of Kemp’s ridley turtle are reported from the northwestern Iberian Peninsula in 2014. All of them were juvenile with a maximum straight carapace length of 26.8 cm. Two of them were found alive, but died on the first two days at the rehabilitation centres. The largest individual stranded in November presented signs of incidental capture in fishing gears. Conclusions: The four records in just one year are a significant increase compared to previous data for the species in this area, and the data obtained contribute to the local knowledge on species phenology, size, distribution and threats.