On September 12, 2007, Joe Stein was surfing with two companions at Ocean Beach near Taraval Street. It was nearly 8:00 P.M. and they had been in the water for 30 minutes. The sky was clear with the air temperature estimated at 60°F. There was a light wind texture on the sea surface with water visibility 3–4 feet. Water depth was 6–8 feet over a sandy ocean floor with a water temperature of 55–60°F. Two dolphins had been observed by Stein’s two companions prior to the encounter.

Stein recounted: "I was sitting probably 50 yards from shore at Ocean Beach, San Francisco, at Taraval Street in small surf, looking out to sea and waiting for a set. The sun had just set. Two of my friends were still in the water, with one 50 yards to the south of me and the other 50 yards to the north. As I was watching the horizon for a wave, I saw a tall dorsal fin cruising along the surface at a decent clip. A small wave came through and I lost sight of the fin. I waited to see it again to be sure it was not a dolphin. After the wave passed, I saw it again, again cruising along the surface, 20 yards west of me, swimming parallel to the beach. After watching it for a number of seconds, I turned and began paddling for shore while the fin was still visible. I yelled to my two friends as I turned, who then also paddled in immediately. The shark appeared to have little interest in me and did not act aggressively or swim towards me. I am unsure of how large it was, as all I saw was the dorsal fin cruise the surface. Once on shore, we watched the water for a couple of minutes, but did not see the shark again."

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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