600,000 People Came to See a Shark Stranded in a Canal in South Korea
In South Korea, a 3.5-meter shark has become an unexpected tourist attraction after getting stuck in a narrow canal. More than 600,000 people have already come to see the predator, and local authorities have even named it an honorary ambassador of Busan, Reuters reports .
The shark was first spotted on September 18 in the narrow canal of Busan's North Port. Experts believe it is a bronze whaler shark. It is presumed to have become trapped while pursuing prey but was then unable to return to the sea on its own.
Since then, the shark has become a popular local attraction. According to authorities' estimates, over 600,000 people have visited the coastal park to see the animal. On a typical weekend, there are about 2,000 tourists, but this time the number of visitors increased approximately 240-fold—to 480,000 over just one weekend.
The shark was named Bukang-i—a name derived from the Korean name for the North Port. After a poll on social media, Busan authorities declared it an honorary ambassador of the city.
Busan Mayor Jeong Jae-soo also came to see the shark. According to him, the animal truly has something star-like about it: it appears every 5-10 minutes and looks very beautiful.
On the day the shark was spotted, the coast guard had already attempted to drive it out of the canal. However, after six hours, the operation was halted on the recommendation of scientists who warned that forceful actions could harm the animal or provoke aggressive behavior.
The National Institute of Fisheries reported that the shark's condition is currently stable, but its ability to feed and move freely is limited. If it remains in the canal for too long, this could lead to the weakening of its body.
On September 29, the coast guard again tried to direct the shark towards the canal exit using water jets. However, this attempt, like the previous one, was unsuccessful—the shark did not want to leave the water area. Specialists plan to make the next attempt to free the animal on October 2.
The presence of sharks in South Korean waters is not unusual in itself. In the first half of 2026, 46 sharks were recorded near the country's eastern coast—almost four times more than in the same period of 2025. Specialists link the increase in their numbers to rising sea temperatures and an increase in the amount of fish, which are natural prey for sharks.
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