Specimens are recorded from Australia, Somalia, South Africa, the Maldives, Kenya, and Japan. From this information, the full range is currently thought to be the Eastern Pacific through the Indian Ocean to the eastern coast of Africa. Specimens have appeared rarely but widely throughout the Western Pacific and Indian Oceans. Until 2002, this species was only known by two skull specimens, recovered in 1926 and 1968. Flesh samples and live sightings have only been documented very recently.

Biogeographic Regions: indian ocean (Native ); pacific ocean (Native )