"Bukang, Please Go Back Safely"... Shark Rescue Operation Attracts 600,000 Visitors [Reporter's Notebook]

It is arguably the hottest place in Busan these days. It is the Busan North Port Waterfront Park. On the 18th, a shark measuring about 3.5 meters long, nicknamed "Bukang," appeared in the waterway here. Since Bukang's appearance, I have been visiting this place very frequently, both for reporting and on a personal level. Every time I come here, however, I am astonished. I wonder if there has ever been this many people gathered around the North Port area before. How on earth has this single shark transformed Busan? Today, I will talk about Busan's top pop star, "Bukang." Experts currently estimate that Bukang is either a bull shark or a blackspot shark. However, these two species look so similar that it is difficult to definitively tell them apart just by watching them swim underwater.

[Kim Jin-koo / Professor of Aquatic Bioscience, PKNU: It's either a bull shark or a blackspot shark. The key to distinguishing between these two species is the dorsal fins, as you can see here. There is a first dorsal fin and a second dorsal fin, and if there is a sharp ridge between them, it's a blackspot shark; if there is no sharp ridge, it's a bull shark.]

In other words, whether Bukang is a bull shark or a blackspot shark needs to be verified more clearly by looking at its belly or back. The question is why such a large shark ended up coming all the way into the waterfront park's waterway. Experts believe it might have followed prey into the area and then failed to find its way out of the narrow waterway. In fact, analysis shows that this waterway is rich in prey such as mullet and jack mackerel. So from Bukang's perspective, it entered thinking, "There is plenty to eat," only to realize, "Wait, where is the exit?" This shark, however, has become a massive hit. As news of the shark's appearance spread across social media, citizens began flocking to the scene, and it was even given the cute name "Bukang." When you visit the site, people crowd in front of the fences to see Bukang as if they were waiting for a celebrity. You can also see people running along the path where Bukang has passed. Because of a single shark, the North Port has essentially turned into a representative local tourist attraction. During the four-day Chuseok holiday alone, 483,000 people visited the North Port, and cumulative visitors exceeded 600,000 from the 18th, when Bukang appeared, to the 28th. Considering that weekend visitors to this place usually hovered around 2,000, this is literally a dramatic change. Commercial businesses around the area, such as cafes and convenience stores, have also enjoyed a sudden boom. The Busan Metropolitan Government even decided to appoint Bukang as an honorary ambassador. Busan Mayor Jeon Jae-soo also expressed affection regarding Bukang's popularity, saying he finds it "adorably cute" and joking that he would even like to throw a stingray to it. As someone whose hometown is Busan, I sometimes wonder what it would be like if Bukang stayed here permanently and became Busan's mascot. Citizens also express regret over its departure.

[Kim Do-yoon, Kim Yong-nam, Kim Ri-wan / Chuncheon, Gangwon Province: Bukang is famous and rare, and it made for good memories, so it's a bit disappointing to see it go away.]

Despite these regrets, however, a release operation has already been carried out once to send Bukang back to the sea. Several boats entered the waterway and used water pumps to push water, guiding Bukang toward the open sea. As a result, the first operation ended in failure.
For the second operation, nets are being deployed. The method involves using a net custom-made for the waterway, measuring about 50 meters wide and 4 meters high, to guide Bukang toward the open sea. Concerns have been raised, however, regarding these release operations. Critics note that forcefully driving the animal could injure Bukang due to stress.

[Yeon Sung-chan / Director of Seoul National University Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital: Even if it's not direct capture, various stresses related to capture can cause animals to make sudden movements, eventually leading to muscle damage...]

Nevertheless, experts explain that allowing the shark to stay here indefinitely is not a good solution either. While it might be fine for the immediate present, it is not suitable as a permanent habitat.

[Choi Yoon / Professor of Marine Biology, Kunsan National University: Looking at how it swims, it looks very unnatural, and because the water depth is shallow and the space is narrow, it is unable to move about freely.]

Since sharks are animals that naturally roam the wide ocean, spending a long period in a narrow artificial waterway surrounded by concrete cannot be considered a good environment, experts say. Ultimately, the key point is how to return Bukang to the sea while safeguarding its safety. Experts explain that it is important to create a "path" so that Bukang can return to the sea on its own. A "soft release" method has been proposed, which uses the scent of prey naturally found in Busan's coastal waters, such as sardines or mackerel, to guide its movement.

[Yeon Sung-chan / Director of Seoul National University Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital: We very frequently see cases where wildlife naturally moves in and out and eventually disappears when food is placed inside a cage with a large fence as well as a little bit outside. This is called a soft release. We need to give ourselves some breathing room to look at it with more time, whether Bukang naturally finds its way out in that manner, or if it continues to stay in the waterway...]

Ultimately, rather than driving Bukang out, safely creating a path so that it can head to the sea on its own appears to be the most crucial solution.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.