They tend to be most abundant in proximity to land, particularly the juveniles, which frequent near-coastal habitats such as bays.[2] The species has been described as "coastal–oceanic", mostly occurring within 30 km (20 mi) of the coast with considerably lower populations beyond this limit.[14] Most individuals are encountered near the surface, but this species has been recorded to at least a depth of 550 m (1,800 ft).[15] Among eight individuals tagged and tracked for 22–49 hours off southern California, all spent the majority of their time within 40 m (130 ft) of the water surface, but periodically dived much deeper, in five individuals to depths of around 100 m (330 ft) or more.[14] A study from the tropical Marshall Islands indicated that common threshers mainly spend the day at depths of about 160–240 m (520–790 ft) where the temperature is 18–20 °C (64–68 °F).[16] Common threshers appear to prefer water temperatures between 16 and 21 °C (61 and 70 °F), but at least occasionally occur down to around 9 °C (48 °F).[14]