'National Shark' Bulkang, Which Drew One Million Visitors, Confirmed as Endangered Female Blacktip Shark

Prefers Water Temperatures of 18 to 26 Degrees Celsius
Rescue Authorities Decide to Monitor Situation for Now

The shark named "Bulkang," which has been inhabiting the artificial waterway of North Port Waterfront Park in Busan for the 19th consecutive day since September 18, has been confirmed to be a blacktip shark.

A shark is swimming in the waterway of a waterfront park. Photo by The Asia Business Daily DB

On October 6, the National Institute of Fisheries Science announced that it has confirmed Bulkang, the shark staying at North Port Waterfront Park, as a blacktip shark based on a close-up video analysis.

Previously, the institute had presumed Bulkang to be either a sandbar shark or a blacktip shark, both of which belong to the genus Carcharhinus. It is difficult to distinguish sandbar sharks from blacktip sharks by eye; however, if there is a ridge between the first and second dorsal fins, it is a blacktip shark. If the ridge is absent, it is a sandbar shark.

In Bulkang's case, the close-up footage revealed a clearly developed ridge between the first and second dorsal fins.

The blacktip shark is a large shark species characterized by a broad, rounded snout and triangular serrated teeth on the upper jaw. They are born at lengths of about 70 to 100 cm and can grow up to 4.2 meters long. Bulkang has been confirmed to be about 3 meters in length, and based on the shape of the genital organ on its abdomen, it has been identified as female.

Blacktip sharks prefer water temperatures of 18 to 26 degrees Celsius and migrate long distances depending on temperature changes. They are widely distributed in coastal and open waters of the world's tropical, subtropical, and temperate regions, including the coastal waters of Korea. They feed on fish and squid. Although there is no research yet on the feeding habits of blacktip sharks in the North Pacific, blacktip sharks off the coast of Australia are known to prey on mackerel, horse mackerel, sardines, and similar fish species.

The blacktip shark is a viviparous species, giving birth to live young, and is slow to grow and reproduce. Due to its declining population, it is classified as an endangered (EN) species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. In Korea, blacktip sharks were previously considered the same species as sandbar sharks, but in 2019, they were officially reported by the academic community as a new, unrecorded species in Korea. Since then, their presence has been confirmed all along Korea's coastline, including Namhae in South Gyeongsang, Samcheok in Gangwon, Sinan in South Jeolla, Jeju, and the waters near Busan.

Rescue authorities have made two attempts to guide Bulkang back to the open sea, but the shark has continued to remain in the waterway. Authorities have now decided to wait and see if Bulkang will leave the waterway on its own, without further rescue operations for the time being. To facilitate this, the net that was installed after the second rescue operation was removed at approximately 4:20 p.m. on October 3. The fisheries institute will continue to monitor Bulkang's swimming behavior and health, and in case of abnormal signs, will cooperate with relevant agencies such as Busan City for further action.

Meanwhile, the number of visitors coming to see Bulkang has surpassed one million as of the previous day.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.