▲ Citizens look at Bukang-i swimming in the artificial canal at the Busan North Port Waterfront Park on the 21st.
A third operation was carried out to guide "Bukang-i," a shark that has been staying in the artificial canal at the Busan North Port Waterfront Park for over a month, back to the sea, but the shark remains near the canal exit without heading out into the open water.
Related agencies, including the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, the Busan Metropolitan City government, the National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea, and the National Institute of Fisheries Science, conducted the third guidance operation today (the 21st) to return Bukang-i to the sea, driving the shark close to the canal exit.
Unlike the second guidance operation on the 2nd, this time Bukang-i was guided from Pedestrian Bridges 4 and 5, where it frequently appeared, toward the exit near the Marina Bridge.
The operation was conducted in the opposite direction of the previous attempt.
Nets were used once again, but unlike the second attempt, the nets were fixed to pontoons, floating structures for waterwork, to block any possibility of Bukang-i jumping over them.
Authorities guided Bukang-i near the Marina Bridge this afternoon and secured the nets, but the shark is lingering around the nets and has not ventured out into the sea.
However, authorities are reportedly determined to send Bukang-i back to the sea this time, even if it takes time.
During the second guidance operation, authorities drove Bukang-i to a point 100 meters away from the exit near Pedestrian Bridge 6, installed a net, and withdrew, but Bukang-i swam over the net and re-entered the inner area the very next day.
Citizens gathered along the waterfront park's canal today as well, cheering for Bukang-i to safely return to the sea.
Bukang-i was first spotted in the waterfront park canal on September 18.
As crowds flocked to catch a glimpse of the 3-meter-long large shark, Bukang-i emerged as a local attraction in Busan.
Cumulative visitors to the waterfront park recently surpassed 1.6 million.
Having failed twice to guide Bukang-i back to the sea, authorities had waited for the shark to leave on its own, but as dropping water temperatures raised the risk of mortality, they launched the third guidance operation today.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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