Sea turtle swimming. NPS photo. Sea turtle crawl on a Cape Sable beach. NPS photo by Jason Osborne. Sea turtles are commonly sighted in Florida Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. Five species of sea turtle are found in the waters of south Florida: loggerhead (Caretta caretta), green turtle (Chelonia mydas), leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea), Kemp's ridley (Lepidochelys kempi), and hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata). All five of these species were once more abundant; however, all five species are now listed as either threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Sea turtles living in the waters of the southeastern United States face a wide variety of natural challenges to their survival. Hatchlings may have to crawl up and down steep, sandy slopes and become trapped in pits of loose sand along the way. They may encounter storm-eroded cliffs and embankments or mounds of seaweed, driftwood, and other obstacles blocking their way. They may have to navigate dense tangles of viney beach vegetation that leave them trapped within, or simply too exhausted to continue.