The North Pacific dwelling Steller can be found along the coasts of California to the Bering Strait, and along the coasts of Asia and Japan. The world population is divided into two groups; the Eastern and the Western. The Canadian dwellers are part of the Eastern population. In Canada, British Columbia's coastal islands are home to three main breeding areas for the Steller, located in the Scott Islands, at Cape St. James and offshore from Banks Islands.

The shiny-pelted Steller is called a "sea lion" because of the light mane of coarse hair found on the neck and chest of the male, resembling a lion mane. The sea lion is sometimes mistaken for the seal; however, it's easy to tell the difference. Unlike the seal, the steller sea lion's outer ear flaps close over its ears to protect them from water. Stellers also have a bony structure which allows them to walk on all flippers while supporting their entire weight; making them much better climbers than seals. As the world's largest sea lion, the adult Steller can reach lengths of two to three metres. Females weigh between 200 to 300 kilograms, while males have been found to reach up to 800 kilograms. One massive steller weighed-in at almost one tonne. The average steller sea lion pup weighs about 20 kilograms at birth.