SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A large dusky shark stuck for over a month in a canal finally swam out to sea on Wednesday as authorities in the South Korean port city of Busan succeeded in a third attempt to free the animal.
Authorities used a floating platform to herd the 10-foot-long female dusky shark, nicknamed Bukangi after the Korean name for the northern port of Busan, along the canal for hours. The shark lingered at the mouth of the canal but eventually swam out to sea, Busan Mayor Chun Jae-soo said.
The shark was first spotted in mid-September and became a major tourist attraction as it slowly circled the canal, its fins slicing the water’s surface.
Busan officials, who made Bukangi a city mascot, said the shark had attracted more than 1.7 million visitors to the canal. But they struggled to find a way to get it back out to sea.
Wednesday’s operation was the third attempt to liberate Bukangi, following failed efforts on September 29 and October 2 that involved boats spraying jets of water and placing nets across the narrow waterway. The shark avoided the boats and swam above the nets.
Experts expressed concern about the shark’s condition, saying it had shown no signs of feeding in the canal and that the drop in water temperature posed additional health risks.
Wednesday’s operation involved carefully maneuvering a large floating platform through the canal to hunt the shark. The workers stood on the platform and used oars to push Bukangi away every time he approached. Dozens of other workers on both banks pulled ropes to move the structure forward, while hundreds of spectators lined the canal to witness the highly unusual rescue effort.
Workers managed to push the platform about a kilometer (0.6 miles) toward the mouth of the canal and placed additional netting in front of the structure to prevent the shark from returning inside.
It’s unclear exactly how far the shark swam, and South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported that it was seen at a nearby pier.
“We will never forget the great interest people showed in the waters of Bukangi and Busan,” Chun wrote on Facebook. “We hope that Bukangi can live a healthy life in the blue sea. »
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