A shark stranded in a canal in the port of Busan, South Korea, has become the Asian country’s latest wildlife sensation. The city says about 600,000 people have come to see it over two weeks.
The 3.5-metre animal was first spotted on September 18 in a narrow waterway at North Port. As days passed without it finding its way to the ocean, authorities stepped in.
Two failed rescue attempts
On Tuesday, September 29, authorities tried to steer it toward the sea using vessels fitted with water jets, but the shark swam away from them and stayed in the canal. he Coast Guard and other agencies sprayed water behind the animal to nudge it gently toward open water, to no avail.
The second try came on Friday, October 2. This time authorities used a net 50 metres long and 6.8 metres high to keep the shark from turning back toward the canal, but it stayed put. The animal is now heading into its third week in the waterway.
A celebrity with a name
Meanwhile, the shark has become a star. Media dubbed it “Bukangi,” a nickname blending “Buk Hang,” the Korean name for North Port, with the Korean suffix “-i.” Experts say it could be a bronze whaler, a species typically found in warm temperate waters that has been seen off South Korea’s coasts.
The craze shows in the crowd numbers. During the four-day Chuseok holiday, about 480,000 people visited the waterfront park where it is stranded, compared with a usual weekend average of around 2,000 a day. And on Tuesday Busan named it an honorary public relations ambassador, after an Instagram poll drew 91% approval from about 8,000 participants.
Between affection and concern
Hundreds gathered along the canal to watch the second rescue. Some visitors said they would be sad to see it go, while others said it should be returned to its natural habitat as soon as possible.
Bukangi’s visit has also drawn attention to changes in the waters around South Korea. An analysis by the National Institute of Fisheries Science counted 46 sightings of large sharks along the east coast in the first half of this year, versus 12 in the same period last year.