Shark rescued after month in Busan canal
SEOUL, South Korea — After failed attempts in recent weeks, South Korean officials on Wednesday finally freed a large gray shark that had been trapped for more than a month in a canal in the port city of Busan, reports BritPanorama.
Officials used a floating platform to herd the nearly 10-foot female dusky shark, nicknamed Bukangi after the Korean name for Busan’s North Port, along the narrow canal for hours. The shark lingered at the canal’s mouth but eventually swam to sea, Busan Mayor Chun Jae-soo said.
First spotted in mid-September, the shark had become a major tourist attraction as it slowly circled the canal, its fins slicing through the water’s surface. Busan officials, who made Bukangi a city mascot, stated the shark attracted more than 1.7 million visitors to the canal, though they struggled for weeks to guide it back to open water.
Wednesday’s operation marked the third attempt to free Bukangi, following unsuccessful efforts on September 29 and October 2, which involved boats spraying streams of water and nets placed across the narrow waterway. The shark had previously avoided the boats and swum over the nets.
Experts expressed concerns regarding the shark’s condition, indicating it had shown no signs of feeding during its monthlong stay in the canal. Additionally, falling water temperatures posed further health risks. Efforts on Wednesday required painstakingly maneuvering a large floating platform through the canal to drive the shark out. Workers on the platform used oars to push Bukangi back whenever it approached and pulled ropes to drag the structure forward, while hundreds of onlookers watched the unusual rescue operation.
Workers managed to push the platform about a kilometer (0.6 miles) toward the mouth of the canal and placed additional netting in front of the structure to prevent the shark from swimming back in. It was not immediately clear how far the shark swam out; South Korea’s Yonhap news agency later reported seeing it at a nearby pier.
“We will never forget the great interest people have shown for Bukangi and Busan’s waters,” Chun wrote on Facebook. “We hope Bukangi can live a healthy life in the blue sea.”
