'Bukang-i' the Shark Returns to Busan Canal after Being Guided Out in 3rd Attempt

Bukang-i the shark, which had been confined to a canal in Busan, South Korea for over a month, has returned to the waterway. The shark was observed swimming on Thursday morning in a narrow area between a flat floating platform and a net, set up to prevent its return. This occurred just a day after officials successfully guided the shark out of the canal.

Experts believe the shark might have swum into the canal under the floating platform, also known as a pontoon. The shark, named Bukang-i after the Bukhang North Port, first appeared in the canal on September 18. Since then, the canal park, located about 330 kilometers southeast of Seoul, has become a major attraction, drawing over 1.6 million visitors by Sunday.

After two unsuccessful attempts to guide the fish to the open sea, officials decided to wait for Bukang-i to exit on its own. However, after it did not make its way out, a third attempt was made due to concerns about the shark's survival if water temperatures continued to drop. On Wednesday, a joint team comprised of municipal and Coast Guard officials made the final effort to guide the shark back to the open sea.