Distribution: In the eastern Pacific from the Gulf of Alaska to central Baja California, Mexico. Epipelagic, inshore and offshore, subarctic to cold-temperate waters, abundant in the Gulf of Alaska and off British Columbia. In the eastern Pacific, females apparently migrate south to pup in spring off Oregon and California as suggested by commercial fish catch records, beached young of the year and anecdotal information (Goldman and Human, in press, IUCN). Caught just off beaches in California (Eschmeyer et al. 1983). Taken as bycatch in salmon and trawl fisheries and incidental in the CA/OR driftnet fishery.