The federal Fisheries Department is investigating the death of a right whale after it was discovered floating in the Bay of Fundy.

More than half of the North Atlantic's total population of 350 right whales, which have been listed as an endangered species since 1973, gather in the passage between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia each summer.

The 25-tonne, nine-metre long whale was found Monday afternoon between the islands of Campobello and Grand Manan, said Jerry Conway, a marine mammal advisor with the department.

But it's unclear exactly where the whale died, Conway told the Canadian Press.

"We estimate that the animal has been dead for about a week, so it would be very difficult to determine with the tides and currents in the Bay of Fundy exactly where this may have occurred," Conway said.

May have been hit by ship

He said the whale was towed to a beach in Campobello, where a necropsy was being performed Tuesday.

Conway said the whale was two or three years old, and may have been struck by a ship.

"On the right side, there's a major gash, and initially we would suspect it might be the result of a ship strike," he said.

"However, we're not prepared to confirm that until the necropsy is completed because the injuries could have occurred after the animal died."

'Final curtain' for endangered species?

Right whales are found off the East Coast in an area that stretches from Newfoundland and Labrador to Florida — but Conway warned that the species might not last much longer.

"The right whale was given its name because it was the right whale to kill. It was found close to shore, and when it was killed, it floated," he said.

"After eight centuries of whaling, this is the final curtain for these animals if we don't do something."

There are about 7,000 South Atlantic right whales and more in the Pacific.

In recent years, marine scientists have managed to get shipping lanes in the Bay of Fundy rerouted and large tankers diverted away from whale habitats.

They have also been trying to convince U.S. legislators to introduce regulatory changes that would reduce ship speeds in the whale's migratory path.