South Korea’s Viral Celebrity Shark Keeps Outsmarting Rescuers Trying to Send Her Home
South Korea’s most famous shark has once again thwarted attempts to send her back to sea. After rescuers spent nearly an entire day guiding the 10-foot shark out of a canal in Busan, she slipped past a barrier and beelined right back to the very waterway authorities had worked exhaustively to free her from.
The shark, nicknamed Bukangi, has spent more than a month swimming near the city’s North Port Waterfront Park. Her unusual visit has turned into a major local attraction, drawing more than 1.6 million visitors.
The latest rescue operation for the reluctant shark took place on Oct. 21, following two unsuccessful attempts in September and earlier in October. Shockingly, the third effort initially appeared to be a total success—and then Bukangi was spotted back near the canal entrance later that night.
According to Reuters, authorities subsequently removed one of the barriers, allowing Bukangi to move between the canal and the surrounding harbor waters without another rescue operation.
Rescuers Spend Hours Trying to Free Bukangi
Embedded media follows. Please allow a moment for it to load.
The Oct. 21 rescue was no small undertaking. This operation brought together marine authorities and rescue workers, who used a floating platform fitted with nets. That design would, in theory, allow rescuers to gradually direct Bukangi toward the canal exit.
At around 6 p.m., Bukangi had been spotted outside the waterway near a pier. Finally, they had achieved success.
Victory was fleeting, however.
By 11 p.m., Bukangi managed to swim beneath a barrier and returned to an area between two nets.
On Oct. 22, authorities removed one of the barriers, reopening Bukangi’s route to the surrounding harbor. She was subsequently spotted swimming in and out of the canal entrance on her own, even venturing into the waters near North Port’s Pier 1.
Rewind to the last two failed rescue attempts, and Bukangi employed much of that same stubborn attitude back then, too. On Sept. 29, boats sprayed water behind her to encourage her toward the exit. On Oct. 2, rescuers utilized a large net, which also failed, albeit when the equipment became caught on the rocky canal bottom, and not from any Bukangi-led sabotage efforts.
Shark Disappears From View as New Concerns Emerge
Bukangi was first spotted on Sept. 18. South Korea’s National Institute of Fisheries Science has since identified her as a female dusky shark, a species classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Authorities are particularly concerned about her prolonged stay in the shallow waterway. In an Oct. 20 announcement, South Korea’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries cited falling water temperatures and the lack of confirmed feeding activity as reasons for attempting another rescue.
The situation took yet another turn on Oct. 23, when Bukangi disappeared from view after being spotted near the canal entrance that morning. According to Yonhap News Agency, marine experts suggested that her increasingly lengthy dives could indicate she was adjusting to the deeper waters beyond the canal.
Another emergency also developed nearby. The Busan Coast Guard responded to an oil spill near the waterfront park, with a slick measuring approximately 33 by 98 feet. Cleanup crews worked to prevent the oil from entering the canal. Whether the spill affected Bukangi’s movements remains unknown.
Bukangi may finally be exploring deeper waters beyond the canal, but officials have not confirmed that she has safely returned to the open sea. After weeks of unsuccessful efforts, her next move is, effectively, entirely up to her, no matter what mortal humans think.
