First Record of Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle, <i>Lepidochelys kempii</i> (Garman, 1880), in the Waters of Martinique Island (Lesser Antilles)

Abstract

An adult female Lepidochelys kempii was found trapped in drifting sargassum south of Martinique; this is the southernmost report of this taxon in the Lesser Antilles arc. Determining the limits of distribution and the existence of possible sympatry between L. kempii and L. olivacea in certain subregions of the Caribbean has been hindered by numerous misidentifications. We review the available data and propose a new distribution map in the Caribbean, which can serve as a basis for future studies.

Keywords

• marine turtle
• Kemp’s ridley
• olive ridley
• Lesser Antilles
• distribution