Following the shark 'Bukangi', the dolphin 'Anmoki' also returns to the sea.

Anmoki, a southern bottlenose dolphin that was rescued and treated in the waters off Gangneung, is returning to the open sea.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced on the 8th that Anmoki will be naturally released in the waters near Sanbangsan Mountain in Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do on the 10th.

Anmoki is a southern bottlenose dolphin that has been spotted off the coast of Gangneung Port (formerly Anmok Port) since last year, and has become a hot topic for its behavior of following ships and not staying away from people.

Anmok, who used to approach the ship's propeller, had injuries all over his body, including a 20cm tear in the skin on his waist. The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries rescued Anmok on July 15th, judging that there was a high risk of death if left unattended.

Anmok was transferred to the Jangsaengpo Whale Ecology Experience Center in Ulsan, a specialized treatment facility for marine animals, and lived in a tank for about four months, receiving treatment and rehabilitation training.

Currently, Anmok's wounds have completely healed, and his ability to hunt live prey and swim have returned to normal levels.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries held an expert meeting on the 5th of last month to comprehensively review Anmok's health and decided to naturally release it into Jeju waters, the habitat of southern bottlenose dolphins.

The release of Anmoki is carried out through field work by the National Marine Biological Resources Center under the supervision of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. The Korea Marine Environment Corporation transports Anmoki from Ulsan to Jeju using its own ships.

14 experts, including veterinarians and aquarists, from 8 rescue and treatment institutions, including Lotte World Aquarium and Seoul Grand Park, will also be dispatched to support the transport and release of Anmok.

Authorities plan to attach a location tracking device to Anmok to check his movement path for a while. The location tracking device is designed to transmit satellite signals for 1 to 3 months and then disengage the eye from the body.

Seo Jeong-ho, head of the Ocean Policy Department at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, said, "This release is a rare case in the world where dolphins rescued from the wild are professionally treated and then returned to nature. We will continue to monitor Anmok's adaptation to the wild even after release."

The shark 'Bukangi', which became a hot topic after entering the artificial waterway of Busan's North Port Waterfront Park last September and staying there for over a month, also went out of the waterway on the 21st of last month due to the authorities' open sea guidance operation.