Bukangi’s Canal Saga: Rescue Attempts, Public Frenzy, and Environmental Alarm

A 3-metre female dusky shark, nicknamed “Bukangi,” was trapped in Busan’s North Port Waterfront Park canal on September 18. After a month of attention, officials guided her toward open water on October 21, but she slipped back into the canal early on October 22, swimming beneath a newly-installed net barrier. Authorities are now working on a final rescue while monitoring her health.

New York Times

Dusky sharks are classified as endangered by the IUCN. South Korea’s National Institute of Fisheries Science (NIFS) linked the shark’s appearance to unusually warm coastal waters, noting a four-fold rise in large shark sightings off the east coast in the first half of the year. Experts say rising sea temperatures are pushing subtropical species northward, increasing the chance of future canal incursions.

The Guardian

• September 18 – Bukangi first spotted in the canal.

BBC News

• September 29 – First rescue attempt using boats and water jets fails.

New York Times

• October 2 – Second attempt with a net across the waterway fails.

The Straits Times

• October 21 – Third effort employs a floating platform, ropes and a wide net; the shark is guided out toward Pier 1.

The Straits Times

• October 22 (morning) – Bukangi re-enters the canal, slipping between the outer floating barrier and an inner net placed 30–40 m deeper.

The Straits Times

• Shark length: reported as 3 m (Reuters, AP) and 3.5 m (The Guardian).

The Guardian

• Visitor count: Busan Infrastructure Corporation reports 1.6 million visitors; AP reports 1.7 million.

The Guardian

• NIFS recorded 46 large sharks off the east coast in the first half of the year, nearly four times the previous year’s total.

The Guardian

• Temperature thresholds: dusky sharks prefer 18 °C–26 °C; decline may begin at 15 °C, with survival precarious near 11 °C, expected in Busan’s canal after mid-November.

The Guardian

Officials opened the outer net and reinforced barriers, stating the shark’s condition was stable and further guidance unnecessary. Busan Mayor Chun Jae-soo expressed gratitude for public interest and hoped the shark would thrive in the open sea. Environmental groups cited warming seas as the underlying cause and urged continued monitoring.

UsNews and World Report

• “We will never forget the great interest people have shown for Bukangi and Busan’s waters,” — Busan Mayor Chun

Associated Press

• “They bring fishing lamps, or the kind of lights people use at a campsite,” — Choi Won-jin, one of the shark’s protectors

The Guardian

• Visitor numbers differ: 1.6 million vs. 1.7 million.

The Guardian

• Shark length varies between 3 m and 3.5 m.

The Guardian

• The precise reason for the shark’s repeated return remains unclear; officials have not identified a definitive cause beyond its movement patterns.

The Guardian

Authorities are evaluating options that include further reinforcement of net barriers, possible capture and transport to open waters, or continued monitoring until the shark departs voluntarily. NIFS warns that falling water temperatures in November could threaten the shark’s health, prompting urgency in planning the next intervention.

The Straits Times