Blacktip Shark 'Bukang-i' Guided Out of Artificial Waterway After 33 Days

Authorities have successfully completed their third operation to guide a blacktip shark named Bukang-i, which had been staying in the artificial waterway of Busan's North Port Waterfront Park for over a month, back into the sea.

This comes 33 days after Bukang-i was first spotted in the waterway.

Relevant 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 guiding operation today (the 21st) to send Bukang-i out of the waterway.

Beginning the operation at around 10 a.m. today, authorities used nets to drive Bukang-i from between the 4th and 5th pedestrian bridges toward the Marina Bridge.

Authorities installed a net about 60 meters away from the exit, and Bukang-i, which had been lingering in front of it, was spotted at around 6 p.m. in the waters off Pier 1 outside the waterway.

This means Bukang-i has exited the waterway for now.

However, the area in front of Pier 1 is difficult to classify as open sea.

There is a possibility that Bukang-i could swim back toward the net.

When lingering near the exit around the Marina Bridge, Bukang-i was also previously observed temporarily moving back and forth near the exit.

Authorities expect that Bukang-i, having left the waterway, will head out to the open sea over time.

Bukang-i was first spotted in the waterfront park waterway on September 18.

As crowds gathered 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 previously to guide Bukang-i back to the sea, authorities had been waiting for the shark to leave on its own. However, with water temperatures dropping and the risk of death increasing, they launched the third guiding operation today.

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