South Korea releases shark nicknamed ‘Bukangi’ back to sea after third rescue attempt

A shark that became a sensation after spending more than a month in a canal in the South Korean port city of Busan was successfully guided back into the open sea on Wednesday, following two failed rescue attempts, the oceans ministry said.

The shark, nicknamed "Bukangi," was first spotted in a narrow waterway at North Port on September 18. More than 1.6 million people visited the waterfront park through October 20 to catch a glimpse of the animal, according to the Busan Infrastructure Corporation.

South Korea's National Institute of Fisheries Science has confirmed that Bukangi is a female dusky shark measuring about 3 meters (9.84 feet) in length.

The species, which inhabits tropical, subtropical and temperate waters, is classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The shark's prolonged stay drew particular attention because of the unusual location. The narrow canal is situated in North Port, close to high-rise buildings and a major high-speed rail station in the heart of Busan.

Authorities first attempted to guide the shark toward the sea on September 29 using vessels equipped with water jets, but the shark swam away and remained in the canal.

A second attempt on October 2 involved a 50-meter-long and 6.8-meter-high net, but rescuers had to end the operation after the net was caught on rocks on the canal floor.

For Wednesday's third attempt, authorities used a net attached to floating platforms, along with divers, to overcome difficulties posed by the canal's underwater terrain and varying depths.

Workers moved the net toward the open sea while preventing the shark from swimming back into the canal. Drones were also mobilised to track its movements.

-Reporting by Hyun Young Yi and Daewoung Kim; Editing by Thomas Derpinghaus/Reuters