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

There are about 370 North Atlantic right whales alive. In the last week, NOAA has spotted three entangled in fishing gear, two likely fatal.

A North Atlantic right whale was seen near North Carolina wrapped in fishing rope and buoys. Two others were spotted off Massachusetts.

The current population of the North Atlantic right whale stands at less than 400 as the species has grown increasingly vulnerable to collisions with ships and entanglements in gear.

Three critically endangered North Atlantic right whales have been spotted entangled in fishing gear off the Eastern Seaboard this month, a number that a researcher says is "devastating but not unusual.

For the second time in a week, researchers have spotted an entangled North Atlantic right whale off the American coastline.

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

Three North Atlantic right whales have been spotted entangled in fishing gear off the coast of the U.S. just this month, according to information from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries.