The famous shark, known as Bukang-i, has ended up in the port of Busan in South Korea, just hours after being carefully released into the sea. The female dusky shark, measuring 3.5 metres, became a viral sensation after it remained trapped in the canal’s waters for about a month, having first been spotted on 18 September.
On Wednesday, workers used nets fixed to floating pontoons to guide the shark towards open sea. However, Bukang-i dived under one net and returned to the canal overnight, according to authorities. An official from the ministry of oceans said the shark is currently located between an outer net and an inner net, installed 30 to 40 metres deeper into the canal. A new attempt to free Bukang-i was under way on Thursday morning.
After it became trapped in September, officials initially chose to wait for the shark to leave on its own. However, due to growing concerns for its welfare, they adopted a more proactive approach. Before Wednesday’s attempt, authorities had twice tried unsuccessfully to return Bukang-i to the sea, first using pressurised water and then nets.
With each failed attempt, the shark gained a large following, attracting more than 1.6 million people to the canal to see it. Affection for Bukang-i has turned into an industry, with a commemorative soju, a baseball mascot wearing a shark cape and an honorary ambassadorship of the city. Shops nearby reported an increase in sales, and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung visited the canal in mid-October.
Environmental groups have linked the shark’s appearance in the canal to warming seas, saying rising temperatures are pushing warm-water fish northwards, with subtropical sharks following them. The Fisheries Institute recorded 46 large sharks off the east coast in the first half of this year, nearly four times more than a year earlier, attributing this increase to warmer seas and the growing number of fish that sharks feed on.
Taken from The Guardian