Bukang-i, the shark that spent more than a month in an artificial canal at Busan’s North Port Waterfront Park, hasn’t been spotted for more than a week, fueling hopes that she has returned to the open sea.
The National Institute of Fisheries Science said Thursday that Bukang-i had not been seen around the area since Oct. 27, with no sightings reported by the public either.
Authorities had said they would need at least a week of monitoring without a sighting to assess whether the shark had returned to sea.
Officials believe cooling waters may have prompted the shark to move. The water temperature at the port fell below 20 degrees Celsius on Monday for the first time this fall. Dusky sharks like Bukang-i thrive in waters between 18 and 26 degrees, while colder temperatures can slow their metabolism and put their health at risk.
Authorities, however, remained cautious, noting that Bukang-i could still be in the port’s deeper waters, as the net set up to prevent her from returning to the park’s waterway was in place for the time being.
The fisheries institute said that if Bukang-i had left, she may have headed for waters south of Jeju.
Neither the institute nor the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries has confirmed that she has left.
A ministry official said authorities would discuss removing the net once they were sure Bukang-i had returned to sea.
junheee@heraldcorp.com
