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.

A third endangered whale has been spotted entangled in fishing gear off the East Coast, marking an alarming end to the year for a species threatened with extinction

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