Busan authorities fail to guide shark to open sea, set to resume operation within days

Busan authorities failed Tuesday to guide a canal-trapped shark to the open sea at North Port, and they plan to resume the operation within days. The Busan Coast Guard and related agencies used five vessels and water streams, but the shark kept avoiding them. Officials said they will likely try again later this week with a custom-made net. The shark, nicknamed Bukang-i, has drawn more than 600,000 visitors since Sept. 18.

The shark was first spotted in the canal on Sept. 18 at Busan’s North Port.

Authorities called off Tuesday’s operation at 3:20 p.m. after the shark repeatedly avoided the water streams.

The animal had drawn more than 600,000 visitors as of Monday.

Officials said they would likely resume rescue efforts later this week using a net custom-made for the width and depth of the artificial waterway.

Published Sep 29, 2026 2:37 pm KST

Updated Sep 29, 2026 5:47 pm KST

A vessel operated by the Busan Coast Guard and the National Institute of Fisheries Science herd the shark 'Bukang-i' toward one side of a waterway at a waterfront park in Busan, Tuesday. Yonhap

BUSAN — Authorities failed Tuesday to guide a canal-trapped shark to the open sea after it was spotted there more than a week ago and drew hundreds of thousands of visitors, with planning under way to resume operations within days.

The Busan Coast Guard and related agencies deployed five vessels to the artificial waterway at Busan's North Port, attempting to herd the shark toward the outer sea by spraying water streams.

After spotting the shark at 10 a.m., authorities moved slowly from the inner canal toward the exit while spraying water. The shark, however, repeatedly avoided water streams by swimming fast past the boats' rears.

Authorities called off the operation at 3:20 p.m., saying they will likely resume the operation later this week using a net custom-made to fit the width and depth of the artificial waterway.

Affectionately named "Bukang-i" -- a combination of Bukhang, or North Port, and the Korean suffix "i" -- the marine animal has drawn more than 600,000 visitors as of Monday since it was first spotted in the canal on Sept. 18.

Initially, local maritime police and authorities tried to drive the shark away. The animal, however, refused to leave the channel, prompting officials to suspend their operations.

With no feeding activities observed since the sharp was first spotted, the local authorities decided it was no longer viable to let the animal stay in the canal and held a meeting Monday to discuss rescue plans.

釜山当局周二未能成功将一条被困在北港运河中的鲨鱼引至开阔海域，他们计划在几天内恢复救援行动。釜山海岸警卫队及相关机构动用了五艘船只和多条水流，但鲨鱼始终躲避。官员表示，他们可能会在本周晚些时候使用特制渔网再次尝试。这条被昵称为“Bukang-i”的鲨鱼自9月18日以来已吸引了超过60万名游客前来参观。

9月18日，有人在釜山北港的运河中首次发现了这条鲨鱼。

周二下午 3 点 20 分，由于鲨鱼多次躲避水流，当局取消了行动。

截至周一，这只动物已经吸引了超过 60 万名游客。

官员们表示，他们可能会在本周晚些时候恢复救援行动，届时将使用根据人工水道的宽度和深度定制的渔网。

发布于2026年9月29日下午2:37（韩国标准时间）

更新于2026年9月29日下午5:47（韩国标准时间）

周二，釜山海岸警卫队和国立水产科学研究所联合运营的船只在釜山一处海滨公园将鲨鱼“北江伊”驱赶至水道一侧。（韩联社）

釜山——一周多前，一条鲨鱼被发现困在运河中，吸引了数十万游客。周二，当局未能将其引导至公海。目前，有关部门正在制定计划，争取在几天内恢复运营。

釜山海岸警卫队及相关机构在釜山北港的人工水道部署了五艘船只，试图通过喷水将鲨鱼驱赶到外海。

上午10点发现鲨鱼后，当局一边喷水一边缓慢地从内河道向出口移动。然而，鲨鱼多次快速游过船尾，避开水流。

当局于下午 3 点 20 分叫停了此次行动，并表示他们可能会在本周晚些时候恢复行动，届时将使用专门定制的、适合人工水道宽度和深度的渔网。

这只海洋动物被亲切地称为“北港伊”（Bukang-i），由“北港”（Bukhang）和韩语后缀“i”组合而成。自9月18日首次在运河中被发现以来，截至周一，它已经吸引了超过60万名游客。

起初，当地海事警察和有关部门试图驱赶鲨鱼。然而，这条鲨鱼拒绝离开航道，迫使官员们暂停了行动。

自从发现这只尖嘴动物以来，一直没有观察到它的觅食活动，当地政府认为让这只动物继续留在运河里已经不可行，并于周一召开会议讨论救援计划。