Shark nicknamed Bukang-i returns to South Korean canal hours after being coaxed out to sea

Summary

A female dusky shark nicknamed Bukang-i has returned to a canal in Busan, South Korea, hours after being coaxed out to sea. The 3-metre (9.8-foot) shark was first spotted in the waterway on 18 September and has drawn more than 1.6 million visitors. Authorities had hoped it would swim back to open sea after being led out of the canal, but it returned despite their efforts to guide it out. A new attempt to free it was under way on Thursday. The shark has become a mascot for the city, and everyone agrees it should go back to the open sea, but getting it to leave is proving difficult.

Timeline

1. The Guardian

   22 Oct 2026, 03:12 UTCSource ↗

   The Guardian reports that Bukang-i, a 3-metre female dusky shark first spotted in the Busan canal on 18 September, returned hours after being coaxed out to sea, has drawn more than 1.6 million visitors, and that a new attempt to free it was under way on Thursday.

2. BBC News

   22 Oct 2026, 08:15 UTCSource ↗

   BBC News reports that authorities had hoped the female shark would swim back to sea after being led out of the South Korean canal, but it returned despite their efforts to guide it out.

3. ABC

   22 Oct 2026, 11:54 UTCSource ↗

   ABC reports that the dusky shark has become a mascot for the city of Busan, that everyone agrees it should return to the open sea, but that getting it to leave the canal is proving difficult.