Abstract
Through systematic recording of stranded individuals, it was shown that marine turtles regularly occur in the Upper Adriatic Sea. All 443 specimens examined belonged to the Loggerhead Turtle, Caretta caretta. The highest numbers are found during the summer months (July–September), the lowest in the cold season. Most individuals are juveniles, suggesting that Loggerheads use the Upper Adriatic Sea primarily as foraging area until they reach maturity. The northwester Adriatic Sea seems not to play an important role as a wintering and hibernation area, and no important role at all for adults. In 1999, exceptionally high numbers of Loggerhead Turtles were recorded (n = 95); most of them were smaller than 40 cm Curved Carapace Length, and thus smaller than the average of other years. Two Loggerhead Turtles recovered in the Adriatic Sea had been tagged at the nesting grounds at Zakynthos, Greece.
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