Shark stranded in South Korean canal draws 600,000 visitors as rescue bid fails
A shark stranded in a canal in the South Korean port of Busan has become the country’s latest wildlife sensation, with the city saying about 600,000 people have flocked to see it over the past two weeks. The 3.5-metre shark was first spotted in a narrow waterway in North Port on September 18. As the days passed without the shark finding its way back to the ocean, authorities launched a rescue…
A 3.5-meter shark has stranded itself in a canal in Busan, South Korea, drawing close to 600,000 visitors over the past two weeks. First spotted on September 18, the large fish has become a sensation, with authorities launching a rescue operation that unfortunately failed. Vessels sprayed water behind the shark in an attempt to guide it back to the ocean, but it continually swam away.
Now, officials plan to use a net to attempt its rescue on Friday. The shark, believed to be a bronze whaler, has earned the nickname "Bukangi," a play on words combining "Buk Hang" from Busan's North Port and the suffix "-i." During the Chuseok holiday, the shark garnered around 480,000 visitors, a significant increase from its usual daily weekend average of 2,000.
In recognition of its popularity, Busan declared the shark an honorary public relations ambassador after an Instagram poll received 91% approval from nearly 8,000 participants.
Written by urgent.news from Dawn's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
