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.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said an aerial survey found an entangled whale about 60 miles (96 kilometers) east of the Outer Banks of North Carolina on Dec. 16. Another aerial survey found two entangled right whales off Nantucket ...

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

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 Wednesday.