Busan shark refuses to leave canal for 3 weeks despite rescue attempts

Busan, South Korea, has become the unlikely home for a shark that has been trapped in a canal for three weeks, despite numerous rescue attempts by local authorities. The shark was first observed on September 18 at North Port, a waterfront park about 330 kilometers south of Seoul. Visitor numbers surged to nearly 20,000 over the following two days, a 5 times increase from the park's typical daily average of 2,000 during holidays.

The surge in visitors was particularly notable during the Chuseok holiday, with an average of 120,750 visitors between September 24 and September 27. The shark, affectionately named "Bukang-i," has become an honorary ambassador of Busan and was visited by 1.02 million people by Monday, according to the city government.

Initial efforts by maritime police and local authorities to remove the shark proved unsuccessful, as the animal refused to leave the narrow canal. Consequently, the city government decided to initiate a rescue operation with relevant authorities. On September 29, the Busan Coast Guard and related agencies deployed five vessels to the canal and used water streams to attempt to guide the shark towards the open sea. However, the shark managed to evade the water streams and the rescue operation was called off after five hours.

On Friday, a joint rescue team comprising city and Coast Guard officials attempted a second rescue, this time using a 50-meter-long, 6.8-meter-high net. Unfortunately, the net got entangled in the canal's bottom, and the shark showed no interest in leaving. Eventually, the net was retrieved, but the shark remained in the canal. The National Institute of Fisheries Science has been monitoring Bukang-i's health daily and has not yet identified any major health issues.