‘Bukangi’, a shark that has disappeared off the coast of Busan... “It’s like I went to the warm south.”

The shark 'Bukangi', which went out after staying in the artificial waterway of Busan's North Port Waterfront Park for over a month, disappeared in the waters off Busan for nearly 15 days.

Experts believe that they left for the warm southern seas as the water temperature dropped.

According to relevant organizations, including the National Institute of Fisheries Science, on the 9th, no reports of sightings of Bukangi were received on this day either.

Bukangi has been missing for 14 days since the 27th of last month, when he was last seen off the coast of North Port.

On the 21st of last month, Bukangi, which went out of the waterway of the waterfront park due to the authorities' open sea guidance operation, has been appearing in the waters off Pier 1 and the International Passenger Terminal for a while, but has not been seen.

Choi Yoon, professor emeritus of marine biology at Kunsan National University, estimated, “It is highly likely that Bukangi went to the open sea less than a week after the 27th of last month.”

It is analyzed that Bukangi, which was in poor health with wounds visible all over its body when it stayed in the narrow and shallow waterway of the water park, regained its health through normal feeding activities after going out of the waterway, and became accustomed to the wide and deep environment, so it would have naturally gone out to the open sea.

The fact that the water temperature off the North Port has dropped to 18 degrees, which is the optimal water temperature limit for sharks, is also giving weight to the possibility that the boukangi has left for the southern sea.

Professor Choi said, “Now is the time when all the sharks that moved north to the East Sea are moving south,” and added, “Bukangi would have also gone to the waters near the Korea Strait or Jeju Island.”

Some citizens who have become attached to Bukangi hope that Bukangi may return sometime next summer, but experts believe that this possibility is highly unlikely.

It is an extremely exceptional phenomenon for sharks active in the open sea to enter the waterway of a waterside park.

The exact reason why Bukangi entered the waterway of the waterfront park is unknown, but it is presumed that the magnetic field may have had an effect.

Sharks have a sensory organ called 'Lorencini' that is sensitive to electrical stimulation, and the magnetic field around the North Port may have caused confusion in the Bukangi's behavior.

Professor Choi said, “It is presumed that Bukangi was accidentally trapped in the waterway of the waterfront park due to the action of the magnetic field in the North Port area,” and added, “It would be difficult for something like that to happen again.”