The Pygmy Right Whale probably has a circumpolar distribution in temperate waters of the Southern Hemisphere between about 30°S and 55°S (extending to 20°S in at least the Benguela Current (southwestern African continental shelf) (Hoffmann and Best 2005, Kemper et al. 2013). There are only a few confirmed records of live whales at sea, but strandings have been reported from Argentina, Falkland Islands (Malvinas), Namibia, South Africa, Chile, western, southern, and eastern coasts of Australia, and North and South Islands of New Zealand (Cabrera et al. 2005, Best 2007, Kemper 2002, Kemper et al. 2013, Rice 1998, Ross et al. 1975).

Two Pygmy Right Whales were taken by a whaling vessel in the South Atlantic between 34° and 35°S (Ivashin et al. 1972). An aggregation of about 80 whales was seen in November 1992 at 42°S about 750 km south of Cape Leeuwin, southwestern Australia (Matsuoka et al. 1996). A group of 14 was sighted in January 2001 at 46°S in the South Pacific about 450 km southeast of Christchurch, New Zealand (Matsuoka et al. 2005). A group of over 100 was seen in June 2007 about 20 km offshore of Victoria, southeastern Australia at 141°E (Gill et al. 2008).

A review of strandings (182 records) and live sightings (14 records) from Australia and New Zealand during 1884-2007 reveals apparent hotspots of records off southeastern and northwestern Tasmania, around Kangaroo Island (South Australia), around Stewart Island, in the Cook Strait, and in the Hauraki Gulf (New Zealand) (Kemper et al. 2013).

Since 1978, 12 strandings and skeletal remains of eight individuals have been identified in the Walvis Bay region of Namibia, all but two of which appeared to have been juveniles. The strandings occurred mainly in November to March (Leeney et al. 2013).