The identity and what happened to the woman remains a mystery.
The unclothed body floating in the water seemed to have been in the water for an extended period of time, according to San Diego Police.
A beachgoer who was walking along the Ocean Beach Pier called 911 immediately after spotting the body in the water.
The badly decomposed corpse had been in the ocean for at least a day, or longer, according to authorities.
The body's condition was so compromised it was not possible to immediately determine the woman's age or race.
Ocean Beach resident Corey Burgoa had been surfing the pier when the discovery was made. He said the discovery now makes him question his safety.
"What's going on? Why did that guy end up there? When am I going to be there?" he asked.
Lifeguards responded to the emergency call and were able to recover the lifeless, naked body and brought it to shore, the medical examiner undertook a preliminary investigation.
No signs of foul play were immediately found.
There are no indications of trauma to the body, according to authorities.
A difficult question to answer is the identity of the woman.
There have been not reports of anybody missing, according to police.
The medical examiner will continue to investigate and try and determine who the woman is and exactly how she died.
Authorities are asking the public for help with any information on the identity of the victim.