BUSAN: A second attempt to guide a 3.5-metre-long shark into the open sea has failed after the animal remained in a narrow canal in the South Korean port city of Busan for nearly three weeks. Rescuers now hope the shark will eventually find its own way back to the sea.
Nicknamed “Bukangi,” the shark was first spotted on September 18 in a canal at Busan’s North Port. Its unusual presence has attracted widespread public attention, with around 600,000 people visiting the area to see it.
On Friday, rescuers launched a second operation using a 50-metre-long and 6.8-metre-high net to guide the shark toward the open sea. A vessel pulled the centre of the net while rescue personnel on both sides moved along the waterfront in an effort to steer the animal toward the canal’s exit.
However, the operation continued for around two hours without success. Authorities eventually called it off over concerns that the large net could become caught on rocks.
The net has been left in position to prevent the shark from moving farther back into the canal, leaving it within a limited stretch leading toward the sea.
An earlier attempt on Tuesday also failed when authorities used boats equipped with water jets to push the shark toward the sea. The animal repeatedly moved away from the water streams and remained inside the canal.
Kim Hyun-woo, a senior researcher at the National Institute of Fisheries Science who is leading the rescue operation, said changes in the water level and current could eventually allow the shark to make its own way into the open sea.
Experts believe the shark may be a bronze whaler, a species generally found in warm temperate waters and known to occur along the coast of South Korea.
The shark’s unusual appearance in the canal has turned the area into a major attraction for residents and tourists. The waterway is located in the busy North Port area, close to high-rise buildings and a major high-speed railway station, drawing large crowds to the waterfront.
