About 600,000 visitors have flocked to Busan’s North Port to see Bukangi, the shark trapped in a canal, as authorities prepare another attempt to guide it back to open sea. Nearly half a million arrived during the previous week’s Chuseok holiday break, according to visitor counts that began Sept. 19. The large gray shark has become an honorary mascot and a social media sensation.
The State’s Response
On Tuesday, Sept. 29, authorities sent five vessels to steer Bukangi toward the sea and sprayed water from tanks. Crowds watched in person, while YouTube carried the operation live. Hours later, crews ended the effort: the shark repeatedly swam past the boats or dived to avoid them, and it stayed in the canal.
Kim Won-ho, a Busan City official, said authorities could try again as early as Friday. The plan remains tentative. The state-run National Institute of Fisheries Science is making a specially designed net at least 50 meters (54 yards) long. Boats would stretch it across the waterway to channel the shark toward the exit.
Under the tentative plan, another boat would spray water from behind Bukangi and push it toward the opening. Crews would again use boats and water to steer the animal through the canal. Authorities haven’t said the earlier approach succeeded; the shark stayed put after crews called off the effort.
Officials said they had detected no clear signs that Bukangi’s health had worsened. Even so, they consider releasing it important for its safety and long-term health. Authorities and the state-run fisheries institute are handling the effort to move the shark.
A Port City’s New Mascot
Officials first spotted Bukangi at North Port on Sept. 18. They estimate the shark is about 3.5 meters (11.5 feet) long. Since appearing in the canal, it has drawn thousands of tourists and become a social media sensation.
Visitor counts reached about 600,000 after tallying began Sept. 19. Nearly half a million people came during the Chuseok holiday break, which is Korean Thanksgiving. Those figures show the scale of public attention around the shark; the account gives no revenue figures for visitors or online attention.
Busan Mayor Chun Jae-soo described the shark’s place in the city in a statement: “Bukangi has naturally become a new part of Busan’s story with the interest and love of the city’s people.” The mayor presented the shark as part of Busan’s public identity, as crowds kept gathering at North Port.
“We’re adapting our response to the situation on site,” Kim said. His statement referred to the authorities’ changing approach after the boats failed to guide the shark out of the canal. The next attempt depends on the net the National Institute of Fisheries Science is making and the tentative plan to direct Bukangi toward the opening.
For now, the shark remains in the canal. Officials have outlined another method, but no successful release has been reported. Visitors keep coming to North Port, while authorities say they’re monitoring Bukangi’s health and preparing another effort to move it to open sea.