Viral shark in South Korean canal guided towards open sea amid cooling temperatures

SEOUL – A shark that has become a viral sensation in South Korea was guided out of a canal where it had been stranded, authorities said on Wednesday, as falling temperatures raised concerns over its survival.

The shark, nicknamed “Bukhangi” by fans, was spotted in an artificial waterway in the southeastern port city of Busan last month, with climate activists linking its appearance to climate change.

“The shark was guided to the southern entrance of the North Port Waterfront Park, where a net barrier was installed to prevent it from re-entering,” the Oceans Ministry said in a statement.

“The shark is now swimming outside the artificial channel, where the water is deeper ... making it less vulnerable to temperature changes as the weather cools and less likely to become trapped.”

The canal where it had been stranded was about three metres deep.

The three-metre dusky shark, a species typically found in tropical climates, amassed a huge following, drawing more than 1.6 million people to the Busan canal for a glimpse and bringing an unexpected boost to the local economy.

Authorities had twice tried unsuccessfully to guide Bukhangi back to sea, first using water jets and then nets, before launching a third attempt on Wednesday morning as the water grew colder.

Officials initially opted to wait for the shark to leave on its own, but growing concerns for its well-being prompted a third attempt, a spokesperson said.

The operation was livestreamed by the city as curious onlookers gathered along the canal for a glimpse of the shark.

Busan authorities attached nets to floating pontoons, which were moved gradually as the shark headed towards the open sea.

The nets were intended to prevent the shark from returning to the waterway once it had passed, they said.

An Oceans Ministry official told AFP that experts had raised concerns about the shark’s health because it “had not been seen eating and appeared to have difficulty maintaining its balance while swimming”.

“These were not normal signs, and the experts believed its condition appeared to be deteriorating,” the official said.

The shark has been celebrated for the unexpected boost it brought to the local economy, with Busan Mayor Chun Jae-soo thanking it for generating publicity he said would otherwise have cost “trillions”.

However, environmental groups say the shark’s appearance should be seen as a warning of the climate crisis rather than a spectacle or an economic boost.

They link its arrival to warming seas, saying rising temperatures are pushing warm-water fish northwards, with subtropical sharks following them.

Sharks venturing into South Korean waters is “not common at all”, Kim Jin-koo, a professor of global fisheries at Pukyong National University, told AFP last month.

“As water temperatures around South Korea have risen, it appears to have moved closer to the country’s coast,” Kim said. –AFP