The endangered whales are North Atlantic right whales, which number fewer than 400 and are vulnerable to ship collisions and entanglement.

A third endangered North Atlantic right whale was found tangled in fishing gear off the East Coast last Monday, just days after two others had been recovered in critical condition near Nantucket. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration found a North Atlantic right whale stuck about 60 miles east of the Outer Banks of North Carolina on Dec.

One of the critically endangered North Atlantic right whales is expected to die after becoming entangled in fishing gear near Nantucket along with a second whale, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said.

The whale spotted off North Carolina has suffered a serious injury and is likely to die as a result of the entanglement, NOAA said.