Bukangi, the shark that captivated Busan, swims back into canal after rescue

A third attempt and a shark back in the canal

On Wednesday, 21 October, officials in Busan used a floating platform to herd Bukangi, a female dusky shark, through the narrow canal for more than eight hours. It was the third attempt to free the animal, after failed efforts on 29 September and 2 October that relied on boats spraying water and on nets stretched across the waterway. Workers stood on the platform and pushed the shark back with oars whenever it approached, while dozens of people on both banks pulled ropes to drag the structure about one kilometre toward the canal mouth. Additional netting was placed in front of the platform to stop the shark from turning back.

Officials first said the shark had been led out into an open harbour. Later reports said it had swum back to the mouth of the canal, apparently after breaking through a barrier, and authorities said it went under a net and returned to the waterway overnight. An oceans ministry official told AFP that the shark was now held between an outer net and an inner net set 30 to 40 metres further into the canal. Officials said a fresh attempt to move it out began on Thursday, 22 October.

Why the shark stayed

Environmental groups have linked the shark's presence to warming seas, which they say push warm-water fish north, with subtropical sharks following them. The National Institute of Fisheries Science, which studied close-up images of the animal, identified it as a dusky shark (Carcharhinus obscurus), after a bull shark had earlier been considered. The institute recorded 46 large sharks off the east coast in the first half of this year, nearly four times the number a year earlier, and attributed the rise to warmer water and more of the fish sharks prey on.

Concern for the animal's health grew over the month. Experts said it showed no signs of feeding during its stay in the canal, and that falling water temperatures posed additional risks. Local media reported minor injuries to its fin and snout, and officials said the animal had become unstable while swimming, which helped prompt the decision to try a third operation.

Tourism and a city mascot

Bukangi became a draw for sightseers, with more than 1.6 million visitors coming to the canal, according to figures cited by the city. The Busan Infrastructure Corporation said visitor numbers at the waterfront park had reached that level by 20 October. Nearby shops reported higher sales, and products built around the shark included a commemorative soju and a baseball team's mascot dressed in a shark cape. The city gave the shark an honorary ambassador title, and President Lee Jae Myung visited the canal in mid-October.

The mayor's farewell

Busan Mayor Chun Jae-soo, who made the shark a city mascot, wrote on Facebook that the animal had become a friend to the whole country and a symbol of Busan. He said the city hoped the shark would live a healthy life in the blue sea, and he pledged to continue the effort until the end.

We will do everything we can until the very end to ensure Bukangi's safe return to nature.

The operation has now moved from a rescue of a stranded animal to a second attempt at a return, with officials still working to bring the shark into open water.