On July 18, 2006 Paul Griffes was surfing off Ocean Beach in the vicinity of Judah Street. It was 6:00 P.M. and he had been in the water about thirty minutes. It was sunny and warm with the air temperature in the low 70s. Water depth was 6-8 feet over a sandy ocean bottom with visibility 2-3 feet. The ocean conditions were 4-5 feet. Dolphins were observed in the area 15 minutes following the encounter.

Griffes recounted: "I was paddling my surfboard from a location directly west of Judah (Ocean Beach) southward to a small cluster of other surfers. I was alone. When I was approximately 20-25 yards from the other surfers, I saw a large dorsal fin (at least 24 inches visible above the water) between myself and the other surfers. The dorsal fin was approximately 10-15 yards away from me and moving directly towards me at a very fast speed. I continued looking long enough to be certain of what I was seeing and then turned and paddled for the beach. I caught a wave within 30 seconds and rode it to the sand. When I got out of the water, there was another surfer standing on the beach who had also seen the fin. He described the same-sized fin in the same location. About five minutes later, two more surfers exited the water in the same area stating that they'd also seen the fin."

Caution should be exercised when utilizing this location for your ocean water activities. Please report any shark sighting, encounter or attack to the Shark Research Committee.

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