South Korea's Celebrity Shark Just Won't Leave

A city in South Korea was trying Thursday to come up with a new way to again free a huge dusky shark from a narrow canal. Busan authorities and the country's Oceans and Fisheries Ministry are determined to guide Bukangi back to open water after an unconventional rescue effort Wednesday, involving maneuvering a floating platform through the canal to push the 9.8-foot female shark out, failed. After lingering in nearby waters for hours, the AP reports that the shark swam beneath an outer barrier net installed on the platform and reentered the waterway. Bukangi is now stuck between that net and a second one about 55 yards into the mouth of the canal, with rescuers debating ways to guide her back out as the shark circles the small patch of water.

Lee Gwang-seok, an official with the Oceans and Fisheries Ministry, said Bukangi was unlikely to slip past more barriers and move farther up the canal, considering the density of the nets and the narrow waterway in that section that leaves little room for the shark to squeeze through. There were no signs that the shark had been feeding regularly during its monthlong stay in the canal, and falling water temperatures could pose additional health risks, officials say. Sharing the Korean name of Busan's North Port, where she was first spotted in mid-September, Bukangi has become a major tourist attraction. Busan officials, who made Bukangi a city mascot, say the shark attracted more than 1.7 million visitors, and hundreds of people lined up along the canal on Wednesday to watch the unusual rescue.

The North Port is a major hub for container and cruise traffic, possibly producing an intimidating environment for the shark, said Kim Hyun-woo, a senior researcher at South Korea's National Institute of Fisheries Science. While authorities stress the need to get Bukangi out to sea quickly, Kim said patience will be key, giving the shark time to adjust to the waters beyond the canal before venturing farther out. "The shark has been staying inside the canal for an extended period, so I didn't expect it to head straight out into the open water," Kim said. "It would be best to give it about a week to leave on its own." Wednesday's operation was the third attempt to free Bukangi, following failed efforts on Sept. 29 and Oct. 2 that involved boats spraying streams of water and nets placed across the narrow waterway. Bukangi avoided the boats and swam over the nets.