A Stranded Shark Becomes a Sensation in South Korea

A 3.5-meter shark stranded in a narrow canal in the South Korean city of Busan has become an unexpected attraction, drawing around 600,000 visitors while rescuers try to help it return to the open sea.

The shark was first spotted on September 18 in a waterway at North Port, close to high-rise buildings and a major high-speed railway station in the center of Busan.

Locals quickly gave the shark a nickname: “Bukangi,” derived from the Korean name for North Port. Experts believe it could be a bronze whaler, a species known to live in warm temperate waters and found along South Korea’s coast.

Authorities have already made two attempts to guide the shark back toward the sea. The first operation used boats equipped with water jets, but the shark avoided the jets and remained inside the canal.

A second attempt involved a huge 50-meter-long net. Rescuers spent about two hours trying to guide the animal toward the sea, but the operation had to be stopped because the net risked becoming caught on rocks.

The net was left in place to restrict the shark to a roughly 100-meter stretch of water leading toward the sea. Officials are now hoping that changing tides and currents will eventually allow the shark to find its own way out.

Kim Hyun-woo, a senior researcher with South Korea’s National Institute of Fisheries Science, said that noise, lights and other signals around the canal may be making it difficult for the shark to determine which direction to take.

The unusual visitor has attracted huge crowds. About 600,000 people have reportedly come to the area to see Bukangi since it was discovered, with hundreds gathering to watch the latest rescue attempt.

The shark’s presence has also prompted scientists to look more closely at changes in South Korea’s coastal waters. Researchers recorded 46 sightings of large sharks along the country’s east coast during the first half of 2026, compared with 12 during the same period last year.

For now, Bukangi remains in the canal. Rescuers say the ultimate goal is not to keep the shark as a local attraction, but to see it safely return to its natural habitat in the open sea.

Source: Reuters