The range of Omura’s whale is poorly known because to date very few specimens have been confirmed. The type specimen was a stranded individual collected near Oyama in the southern Sea of Japan in 1998 (Wada et al. 2003). Eight specimens taken under scientific permit in the 1970s, identified at the time as Bryde’s whales (B. edeni/brydei), were subsequently re-identified genetically from archived tissue samples as B. omurai (Wada et al. 2003, Sasaki et al. 2006).

Six of the B. omurai specimens were taken in deep water in the Solomon Sea in 1976, and reported as unusually small Bryde’s whales (Ohsumi 1978). Two specimens were taken in deep water near the Cocos (Keeling) Islands in 1978, and reported as ordinary Bryde’s whales, which were also collected in the same area (Ohsumi 1980).

Genetic identification confirms the presence of B. omurai in the Bohol Sea, Philippines (see above).

Specimens of B. omurai may have been collected elsewhere without being recognized. Bannister (1964) reported eight “Bryde’s” whales taken off Western Australia during 1958-63 that “do not match the published descriptions of specimens from other parts of the world” but their small size (11.2-11.7 m for mature animals) appears consistent with either B. omurai or the small type of B. edeni/brydei.

B. omurai is at least partially sympatric with Bryde’s whales (B. edeni/brydei), and occurs both in deep water and in inshore areas. The location of the type specimen (Sea of Japan) may not be representative.