A shark refuses to leave this canal in South Korea: a fourth attempt to get it out

Tenacious and clever: the shark that has become famous in South Korea, stuck since last month in a Busan canal, reappeared there a few hours after being evacuated, authorities announced Thursday, concerned about its health.

The animal, nicknamed “Bukhangi” by South Koreans who follow it closely, was led out of the canal on Wednesday, guided by nets attached to mobile floating pontoons. But a few hours later, he dove under a net meant to prevent him from turning around and came back to swim in the waterway where, as winter approaches, temperatures become dangerous for his health.

Warming of the seas in question

The 3.5 meter long bull shark “is now between the external net and an internal net installed 30 to 40 meters (...) further inside the canal,” an official from the Ministry of Oceans told AFP.

A new attempt to get him out, the fourth, began on Thursday morning: the external net was raised so that Bukhangi could leave the canal.

This shark, a species generally found in tropical climates, has generated considerable enthusiasm in the country. More than 1.6 million people flocked along the canal in Busan, a southeastern port city, to see it, sparking an unexpected local economic boost appreciated by the authorities.

But rather than an attraction, environmental organizations see its presence in South Korea as an alarming sign. They establish a link between its appearance and the warming of the seas: rising temperatures push fish from warm waters northward, with subtropical sharks following these prey in their wake.