BUSAN — A black shark nicknamed "Bukang-i," which has lingered for more than a month in a waterway at a waterfront park in Busan's North Port, was guided out to sea in authorities' third attempt only to slip back past a barrier within hours. The unexpected return has put the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, the Busan metropolitan government and other agencies on emergency footing.
According to the ministry and the city on the 22nd, authorities succeeded in moving the shark out of the waterway at around 6 p.m. on the 21st in a third operation that mobilized a pontoon, blocking nets and professional divers.
But instead of heading for open water as expected, the shark circled near the mouth of the waterway and re-entered at around 11 p.m. the same day, passing beneath or beside the pontoon installed as the first line of defense against re-entry.
The shark is now confined to an area roughly 30 meters on each side between the pontoon and a second net, surfacing as it continues to swim. It has not pushed deep into the stretch between the fourth and fifth pedestrian bridges where it previously stayed, but the risk to its safety has grown as it remains in a narrow space with its route to open sea blocked.
No feeding has been observed during its month-long stay, and the shark now faces the risk of death as air and water temperatures fell sharply beginning on the 22nd. A typhoon moving north from the south adds to the urgency of another operation to guide it out.
Officials at the scene made no attempt to hide their dismay after the shark got back past the barrier. Officials from the ministry, the city and other agencies are rushing to the site. "We did not expect the shark to avoid the barrier and come back in, so this is a very bewildering situation," one official said. "We plan to discuss again how to guide it out to sea and seal off the waterway."
The shark was first spotted in the waterway on Sept. 18. Crowds gathered to see the 3-meter-long animal, turning it into a local attraction, and cumulative visitors to the waterfront park recently passed 1.6 million.