A female dusky shark that captured the attention of millions of visitors in Busan, South Korea, has returned to the entrance of the canal where she spent more than a month. The reversal occurred just one day after officials successfully guided her toward open water on Wednesday, October 21, 2026.
South Korea’s oceans ministry stated that workers led the approximately 3-meter-long (10-foot) shark, widely known by her nickname Bukangi, out of the canal and into an open harbor on Wednesday evening. However, subsequent monitoring revealed that she breached a barrier installed to prevent her from swimming back. She ended up trapped between a floating platform and a secondary net barrier by Thursday morning.
Rescue Operation Challenges and Timeline
Authorities scheduled a fresh relocation operation for Thursday, October 22, to guide the animal back out to sea. The latest development followed a series of challenging attempts to clear the canal:
- September 29: The first attempt failed after the shark evaded water jets deployed from rescue boats.
- October 2: A second operation was abandoned when a 50-meter-long net caught on the uneven canal bed as the tide rose.
- October 21: Rescue workers spent more than eight hours using nets and floating pontoons to guide Bukangi toward the harbor, an operation that was livestreamed to the public.
During Wednesday’s operation, the rescue team stopped the net about 60 meters short of the canal exit. The deepening water near the mouth made it difficult to move equipment along the seabed without leaving gaps. Observers later spotted the shark near a pier outside the canal before she managed to slip back under the outer net and pontoon barriers.
Tourism Boom and Marine Conservation Concerns
Since first appearing in the waterway on September 18, Bukangi turned the North Port Waterfront Park into an unlikely tourist attraction, drawing more than 1.6 million visitors. Her presence spawned a local economic boom. It inspired a commemorative soju, a baseball mascot wearing a shark cape, an honorary city ambassadorship, and a surge in retail sales.
Despite her celebrity status, marine experts and government officials expressed mounting concerns over her health. Researchers noted abrasions around her snout and fins, likely caused by scraping against canal walls covered in barnacles and oyster shells. Handlers were also unable to confirm whether she had eaten since entering the artificial waterway.
Environmental scientists have linked Bukangi’s presence in the canal to warming seas. They noted that rising temperatures are pushing subtropical fish northward, with predators following close behind. The national fisheries institute recorded 46 large sharks off the east coast during the first half of the year-nearly four times the figure from the previous year.
With falling water temperatures threatening the animal’s survival, authorities are reviewing new measures to prevent her from re-entering the inner canal while completing ongoing monitoring and relocation efforts.
