"Don't Come Back; the Net's a Fortress" 'Bukangi' Ends Monthlong Stay in Busan, Leaves Channel After 33 Days

Authorities successfully steer Bukangi as far as Pier 1
It could still return to the net near the exit

The shark Bukangi left the channel 33 days after it was first spotted at North Port Waterfront Park in Busan.

Early on the morning of the 21st, after a rehearsal, relevant agencies including the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, Busan Metropolitan City, the National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea, and the National Institute of Fisheries Science carried out a third operation to guide Bukangi back to the sea.

Authorities began the operation at around 9:28 a.m. that day and, as in the second attempt, installed a net to push Bukangi out of the channel. This time, they installed a pontoon (a floating platform for water-based work) and stationed personnel on it to prevent Bukangi from jumping over the net. Eight divers and two government vessels were also deployed.

Citizens gathered along the channel at the waterfront park again that day, hoping Bukangi would safely return to the sea.

The third operation to guide Bukangi, a blacktip shark, into open waters ahead of its return to the sea is underway on the 21st in an artificial waterway at North Port Waterfront Park in Dong-gu, Busan. Yonhap News.

At around 5:40 p.m., the relevant agencies succeeded in driving Bukangi from the fourth-fifth pedestrian bridge toward Marina Bridge. Authorities installed a net about 60 meters from the exit to prevent Bukangi from re-entering the channel. After swimming around in front of the net, Bukangi was spotted at around 6 p.m. in the waters outside the channel off Pier 1.

In effect, Bukangi has made it out of the channel. However, the waters off Pier 1 are not yet considered open sea, so there is still a possibility that Bukangi could return to the net. When Bukangi was swimming around near the exit toward Marina Bridge, it was also spotted briefly moving back and forth near the exit. Authorities hope that Bukangi, now outside the channel, will eventually head out to open sea.

Bukangi was first spotted in the waterfront park channel on September 18. Crowds flocked to see the large, 3-meter-long shark, and Bukangi became a local attraction in Busan. The waterfront park has recently surpassed 1.6 million cumulative visitors.

After two failed attempts to guide Bukangi back to the sea, authorities waited for it to leave on its own. However, with no feeding activity detected for a month and water temperatures falling, the risk of the shark dying increased, prompting authorities to launch a third guidance operation that day. The relevant agencies plan to check Bukangi's movements on the morning of the 22nd and confirm whether it has reached open sea.

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