A shark nicknamed 'Bukangi' during a rescue operation in Busan, South Korea, on Wednesday.Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters
A shark that became a sensation after spending more than a month in a canal in the South Korean port of Busan was successfully guided back into the open sea on Wednesday, following two failed rescue attempts, the oceans ministry said.
The shark, nicknamed “Bukangi,” was first spotted in a narrow waterway on September 18. More than 1.6 million people visited the waterfront park through Oct. 20 to catch a glimpse of it, according to the Busan Infrastructure Corporation.
Lee Min-jeung, a 39-year-old travel content creator from Seoul, said she had travelled to Busan four times to see Bukangi.
“I’m relieved that it seems to have returned to the sea,” Lee said. “Goodbye. Don’t get sick.”
South Korea’s National Institute of Fisheries Science identified Bukangi as a female dusky shark measuring about three metres in length.
The species, which inhabits tropical, subtropical and temperate waters, is classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Bukangi’s appearance has also drawn attention to changes in the waters around South Korea, with experts citing warming seas as one possible factor behind a rise in large shark sightings.
The shark, which was named Bukangi, was first spotted in the canal on Sept. 18, drawing more than a million visitors.
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The fisheries institute recorded 46 sightings of large sharks along the country’s east coast in the first half of this year, compared with 12 during the same period last year.
The shark’s stay was unusual because the narrow canal lies near high-rise buildings and a major high-speed rail station in central Busan.
The operation to free it was deemed necessary because the shark had not been observed feeding, and falling temperatures could affect its health, city officials said. South Korean media also said Bukangi had sustained minor injuries to its fin and snout.
Authorities tried to guide it out on Sept. 29 and Oct. 2 but both attempts were unsuccessful.
On Wednesday, authorities used a net attached to floating platforms and divers to navigate the canal’s underwater terrain and varying depths.
Workers moved the net toward the sea while preventing the shark from swimming back into the canal.