Trapped shark nicknamed Bukang-i draws 607,000 visitors to South Korean canal as rescue efforts fail

From the Newshound archive · first published 29 September 2026.

A bronze whaler shark has been stranded in a narrow canal near North Port Waterfront Park in Busan, South Korea, since 18 September, drawing enormous crowds to a waterway that normally sees around 2,000 visitors a day on holidays. Scientists warn the 3.5-metre animal, nicknamed Bukang-i after the city's North Port, is growing weaker the longer it remains trapped. Tuesday's coastguard rescue attempt — water jets directed at the shark's rear to drive it toward open sea — failed after Bukang-i slipped past the boats and turned back into the canal.

Experts believe Bukang-i is a bronze whaler that followed prey in from the sea and cannot find its way back out.

An earlier rescue bid was abandoned on expert advice that coercing the animal risked injuring it or provoking aggressive behaviour.

South Korean waters have seen a sharp rise in large sharks this year, with 46 recorded off the east coast in just the first half of 2026.