"This Is the Spot": Visitors Flock to Bukang's Habitat Armed With Sighting Tips

On October 11, the final day of the Hangeul Day holiday, two young women walking along the pedestrian overpass connecting Busan Station and the North Port waterfront park were talking about the "best spot."

They were visitors who had thoroughly researched in advance where they could best see "Bukang," a shark that has been staying in the artificial waterway of the waterfront park for 24 days.

As Bukang's stay has prolonged, information regarding its appearance patterns is being shared through social networking services (SNS) and other platforms.

A web service sharing tips on Bukang's appearances has even emerged.

A woman in her 60s waiting by the waterway was explaining Bukang's appearance patterns to people around her like a tour guide.

"It comes up to around here and then turns back like this," she said, pointing at the waterway with her finger.

A person next to her remarked, "It mostly comes out around this area from the morning until about 2 p.m."

The waterfront park was crowded with visitors coming to see Bukang from the morning that day as well.

During the Chuseok holiday, visitors filled both sides of the waterways as well as the 4th and 5th pedestrian bridges installed above them, but on this day, crowds were concentrated along the waterway on the Busan Station side.

This seemed to show just how many people had figured out Bukang's appearance information in advance.

There were also many repeat visitors who had spotted Bukang multiple times.

After standing by the waterway for about 15 minutes, someone shouted, "There it comes, it's coming!"

People around immediately pulled out their mobile phones and turned on their camera apps as if they had been waiting for it.

Water lay right beneath the railing.

Some warned each other, "Be careful not to drop your phone."

Bukang brushed past right below the railing, sticking its dorsal fin slightly above the water's surface.

The feeling of a large 3-meter-long shark with a pitch-black back passing right under one's feet was thrilling.

As Bukang passed by, children ran toward that direction to catch another glimpse.

The "turnover rate" of the waterfront park felt quite fast.

Visitors generally turned back after seeing Bukang or taking pictures with their cameras, while a steady stream of new people continued to arrive to see it.

During this Hangeul Day holiday, 50,000 to 100,000 people a day visited the waterfront park to catch a glimpse of Bukang.

Since September 18, when Bukang was first discovered, the cumulative number of visitors has reached about 1.3 million.

As crowds continued to pour in, relevant authorities restricted access by taping off stairs and lawns throughout the waterfront park.

While this was a measure to prevent safety accidents, a somewhat cluttered atmosphere was unavoidable.

Despite two rescue operations by authorities, Bukang has not left the waterway and is staying for an extended period.

Recently, wounds resembling scrapes from a hard object were found on its snout, raising concerns.

Authorities are monitoring its health status, believing that Bukang may return to the sea on its own once the water temperature drops.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.