Shark Rescue Effort Fails as 'Bukan' Returns to Waterway

A rescue operation to return a shark known as 'Bukan' to the sea has once again failed after the animal returned to the waterway where it has been for over ten days.

According to Yonhap News Agency on October 3, Bukan jumped over a large net set up by rescue authorities near the waterway's exit and returned to the inner waterway around noon on the same day.

Previously, the Busan Coast Guard and other relevant authorities had installed a 50-meter-long, 6.8-meter-high net near the fourth pedestrian bridge of the waterfront park to guide Bukan back to the sea. They then moved the net closer to the sixth pedestrian bridge to encourage the shark to exit the waterway.

However, the net became snagged on the bottom of the waterway, and Bukan stopped moving. Authorities secured the net about 100 meters inside the exit and halted operations, intending to prevent Bukan from returning to the inner waterway.

Despite these efforts, Bukan circled the net, looking for an opening, and eventually jumped over it around noon.

Since the second rescue attempt, Bukan has remained in the waterway, attracting visitors eager to see the shark at the waterfront park. In anticipation of increased crowds during the holiday period, the Busan Facilities Corporation and other relevant agencies are enhancing patrols.

Since Bukan was first spotted, the waterfront park has become a tourist attraction, with cumulative visitor numbers exceeding 700,000.