"Northern fur seals breed on islands near Russia, Alaska, and California, but not necessarily on the island where they were born—females tagged as pups have been found breeding on other islands. The seals range widely in the North Pacific, some swimming as far south as the US-Mexican border, and in the western Pacific, as far south as southern Japan. Females and their offspring tend to travel farther than males, who usually stay in Alaskan waters in the non-breeding season. Population numbers in some areas plummeted in the late 20th century, for a variety of reasons. From 1956-1968, 300,000 females were killed annually for their fur. Fisheries take millions of tons of fish—the seals' food—every year, and many seals died when they were trapped in tough, plastic, 30-mile-long fishing nets."

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Mammal Species of the World
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