Busan turns stranded shark into city ambassador as visitors crowd waterfront
The city says about 600,000 people have visited the North Port shark over two weeks, while efforts to guide it back to sea have yet to succeed.
A shark stranded in a canal at Busan’s North Port has become a major draw, with city authorities saying about 600,000 people visited to see it over two weeks. The shark was first spotted in the narrow waterway on 18 September.
Busan has named the shark “Bukangi” an honorary city ambassador after 91 per cent of participants in a social media poll supported the proposal, according to the city. The nickname is derived from the Korean name for the North Port.
The reported visitor total includes almost half a million people at the waterfront park during the four-day Chuseok holiday weekend, compared with an average of about 2,000 visitors on weekends, city authorities said.
The shark’s species has not been confirmed. Reports suggest it may be a requiem shark, possibly a bull shark or bronze whaler, and estimate it is about 3.5 metres long.
An attempt earlier this week by the Coast Guard and other agencies to steer it towards the sea using water jets failed. Local media reported that a further attempt using a net was being planned for Friday; no outcome was confirmed in the source material.
