A shark that became an unlikely tourist attraction in South Korea was finally guided out of a canal and back towards the open sea on Wednesday.
Bukang-i, a female dusky shark measuring about 3m long, was first spotted in an artificial waterway at North Port Waterfront Park in the port city of Busan on 18 September. The endangered animal drew more than 1.6 million visitors to the park as concerns mounted over her deteriorating health. Experts warned that she likely had as little as two weeks to live after she was seen repeatedly hitting her head against the canal wall and suffering damage to her fins.
Officials couldn’t confirm that she had eaten since entering the waterway, raising fears that prolonged starvation and falling water temperatures could further weaken her.
At around 10am on Wednesday, authorities launched their third attempt to guide the shark out of the canal, using a large net attached to floating platforms to steer her towards the exit near Marina Bridge, the state news agency Yonhap reported.
Following an operation lasting about eight hours, Bukang-i was spotted outside the canal near a pier at about 6pm. South Korea’s oceans ministry said she had been successfully guided back into the open sea, but remained at the mouth of the canal instead of swimming out further.
The rescue team changed its approach after previous attempts on 29 September and 2 October failed. The first attempt failed after the shark repeatedly dodged streams of water sprayed from rescue boats, swimming behind the vessels or diving beneath the surface.
During the second attempt, rescuers used a 50m-long, 6.8m-high net to steer her towards the sea, but it became caught on the canal bed as the tide rose, forcing officials to call off the operation.
For Wednesday’s attempt, rescuers secured the net to pontoons and deployed divers to help navigate the canal’s uneven underwater terrain. They also used drones to track the shark’s movements.
Eight divers took part in the operation, helping guide Bukang-i towards the exit and prevent her from swimming back into the canal.
Even when the net reached a point around 50m from the exit, the shark did not immediately leave.
Officials had initially waited for Bukang-i to leave the canal on her own, but concerns about her health prompted the latest operation.
Water temperatures are expected to fall further in the coming weeks, potentially making conditions increasingly unsuitable for the shark.
Marine researchers had reported abrasions around her snout and fins, which they believed were caused by repeated contact with the canal walls containing barnacles and oyster shells.
Handlers had not seen her feeding, raising further concerns about her condition, although experts said dusky sharks could survive for extended periods without food. The species is classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. It inhabits tropical, subtropical and temperate waters.
“During Bukangi’s 34 days in North Port, the shark became a friend to the entire country and a symbol of Busan, the nation’s maritime capital. It’s heart-breaking to say goodbye,” Busan mayor Chun Jae Soo wrote on Facebook. “We will do everything we can until the very end to ensure Bukangi’s safe return to nature.”
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