Bukangi the Shark Finally Leaves the Busan Waterway, Found 2 km Away
Bukangi, the Busan North Port shark, vanished from the park waterway on the morning of October 23 and was found healthy two days later in Busan Port, about 2 km away near the International Passenger Terminal. Here's how it left, how it's doing, and what comes next.
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Bukangi (부캉이), the shark that had been living in the waterway of Busan's North Port Waterfront Park, has finally left for real. I covered how it went out to sea on October 21 only to swim back five hours later in Why Bukangi the Shark Swam Back 5 Hours After Being Released, and what kind of shark Bukangi is in my earlier post. This post sums up, based on news reports from October 23 to 25, how Bukangi left and where it is now.
Bukangi leaves the North Port waterway for good after 34 days
Opening the way and waiting
On the 22nd, after pushing Bukangi out of the waterway again, authorities decided to stop driving it out. The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries left the seaward first barrier net open and waited for Bukangi to head out to sea on its own12.
Morning of October 23: the last sighting
Bukangi was last seen at around 8 a.m. on the 23rd, in front of Pier 1 of Busan Port1. It then dove deep and moved while swimming underwater, and still hadn't shown itself by the afternoon3.
This time it didn't come back into the waterway either. Thirty-four days after it was first spotted on September 18, Bukangi had left the waterway completely.
"Bukangi has left for the big sea"
On the 23rd, Busan Mayor Jeon Jae-soo posted on social media that Bukangi had left for the big sea. "I won't forget the deep interest you showed in Bukangi and Busan's sea," he wrote, adding, "Bukangi is gone, but we will long remember the precious bond and memories nature brought us," and wishing Bukangi a healthy life3.
During Bukangi's 34-day stay, more than 1.7 million people visited North Port Waterfront Park3. At that point, though, it still hadn't been confirmed whether Bukangi had really reached the open sea.
Found two days later in Busan Port, about 2 km away
Located thanks to a tip from Busan Port Authority
On the morning of the 24th, the National Institute of Fisheries Science (NIFS) checked the waterway area but couldn't find Bukangi. Then Busan Port Authority (BPA) reported a sighting, and NIFS went out to confirm it12.
Bukangi was in the harbor in front of the Busan Port International Passenger Terminal in Dong-gu, Busan. That's about 2 km (about 1.8 km according to Newsis) from Pier 1, where it was last seen, inside a port facility area closed to the public142.
Health: swimming normally with no new injuries
According to NIFS, Bukangi was swimming at a normal speed and keeping its balance well. No new injuries or health problems were seen2.
Something had changed, too. In the waterway, which is only about 3 m deep, its dorsal fin often stuck out of the water. This time it was seen diving with its dorsal fin barely showing2, which suggests it's getting used to deeper water.
Not in the open sea yet
Bukangi has certainly left the waterway, but it hasn't reached the open sea beyond the port yet. Where it is now is still inside Busan Port42.
NIFS believes Bukangi went out into deeper water and then moved along the harbor walls. After more than a month in a narrow waterway, it is now gradually widening its range and adapting to a new environment42. NIFS researcher Kim Hyun-woo said, "It looks like it will take some time before it heads out to the open sea"1.
Water temperature is still the main worry. Dusky sharks mostly live in warm seas, and experts have said North Port waters could drop to temperatures too cold for them by mid-November (see my earlier post for details). I hope it makes it out to the open sea before it gets colder.
Free Bukangi KakaoTalk emoticons
Busan City made a set of 16 KakaoTalk emoticons starring Bukangi, called "Sharkfluencer Bukangi Came to Busan!" (샤플루언서 부캉이 부산왔데이!). Starting at 2 p.m. on October 26, the first 50,000 people who newly add Busan City's official KakaoTalk channel get them for free, and they can be used for 30 days. The images can also be downloaded for free, with no expiry, from the "Digital Goods" menu on the Busan City website5.
Summary
| Date/time | What happened |
|---|---|
| Oct 22 | Pushed out of the waterway again; first barrier net left open so it could leave on its own |
| Oct 23, around 8 a.m. | Last seen in front of Pier 1 of Busan Port, then moved away underwater |
| Oct 23 | Busan Mayor Jeon Jae-soo: "Bukangi has left for the big sea" |
| Oct 24, morning | NIFS checks the waterway area but can't find it |
| Oct 24, afternoon | Following a BPA tip, found swimming healthily in the harbor in front of the International Passenger Terminal, about 2 km away |
| Oct 26, 2 p.m. | Free Bukangi KakaoTalk emoticons released |
After more than a month in the North Port waterway, Bukangi has finally left. It's still inside Busan Port, but it's a relief to hear it's healthy and slowly making its way to wider waters. I'll update this post when there's more news.