Second attempt to guide stranded shark out of Busan canal ends without success

MixedA second attempt to guide a shark stranded in a canal in the South Korean port city of Busan back to the open sea ended without success on Friday 2 October, with the animal staying in the waterway into its third week. 1 2 MixedRescuers who had been using a net to coax it out ended the operation after a two-hour chase because of the risk of the huge net getting caught on rocks. 1 2 MixedThey left the net in place to limit how far back up the canal the shark can swim, which now confines it to a 100-metre stretch leading to the sea, and they hope it will eventually swim out on its own. 2 1

MixedThe 3.5-metre (11.48-ft) shark was first spotted in a narrow waterway at North Port on 18 September. It is nicknamed "Bukangi", from "Buk Hang", the Korean name for North Port, plus the Korean suffix "-i", and about 600,000 people have flocked to see it. 1 2 MixedExperts say it could be a bronze whaler, a species typically found in warm temperate waters that has been seen off South Korea's coasts. The canal's location, near high-rise buildings and a major high-speed rail station in central Busan, drew particular attention. 1 2 MixedThe first attempt, on Tuesday, used vessels with water jets, but the shark swam away from them and stayed in the canal. 1 2

MixedFor the second attempt, authorities used a 50-metre-long, 6.8-metre-high net to stop the shark turning back toward the canal. A vessel pulled the centre of the net while five people on each side moved along the waterfront, coordinating their speed to steer the shark seaward. 2 1 MixedKim Hyun-woo, a senior researcher at the National Institute of Fisheries Science leading the operation, said changing water levels and currents may let the shark find its own way out. He said the operation would count as a success only once the shark has completely left the canal for the open sea. 2 1 RightKim said noise, lights and electrical signals may be making it hard for the shark to find the exit, with "too many external physical stimuli coming from different directions". 2

MixedHundreds gathered on Friday to watch. Some visitors said they would be sad to see it leave, while others said it should return to its natural habitat as soon as possible. Busan resident Jo Won-ho said he hopes it heads out to sea but "I guess it likes Busan, too, since it's still here". 1 2 MixedThe shark has also drawn attention to changes in waters around South Korea. Experts point to warming seas as one possible factor in more large-shark sightings: a National Institute of Fisheries Science analysis found 46 sightings along the east coast in the first half of this year, against 12 in the same period last year. 1 2