A 10-foot-long dusky shark has become an unexpected attraction in the southeastern South Korean port city of Busan, drawing large crowds to a waterfront park where it has taken up residence. The female shark, known locally as Bukangyi after Bukhang Waterfront Park where she was first spotted, was seen in a canal near Busan’s North Port about a month ago.

Officials have made two attempted efforts to guide the shark back to open water without success. On September 29, the Busan Coast Guard and city fire department used boats, water pumps, and other methods to herd Bukangyi toward the sea. A few days later, a large net was cast across the canal to push her outward, but it became entangled on the canal bed, allowing the shark to swim back with the high tide. Authorities have since suspended active rescue operations and are hoping the shark will leave on its own.

Since the initial sighting on September 18—shortly after the official summer swimming season had ended—the shark has remained in the canal, a short waterway less than a mile long and approximately 200 feet wide, which curves before opening into Busan’s North Port, a key maritime hub. The presence of the shark, a species not commonly observed in such an urban area, has led to considerable public interest.

More than a million visitors from across South Korea, including the president, have reportedly come to glimpse Bukangyi. The shark has been embraced as a local symbol: she has been named an honorary city ambassador, a local distillery issued a special edition bottle in her honor, and Busan’s professional baseball team created merchandise featuring their mascot dressed as a shark.

Experts say Dusky sharks are migratory and typically inhabit temperate to tropical waters. Classified as an endangered species, they can live up to 50 years and endure a month without food. Researchers monitoring Bukangyi report she appears healthy except for minor abrasions from contact with the canal walls but has not been feeding. Concerns are growing as water temperatures in the canal are expected to drop below survivable levels by late November.

Kim Hyun Woo, a senior researcher at the National Institute of Fisheries Science, who is part of the team tracking the shark's condition and behavior, estimated that Bukangyi is more than 20 years old. He expressed uncertainty about her ability to survive if she does not return to open waters soon.

Local residents have expressed a strong connection to the shark. Kim So-mi, 64, said the shark has become like a pet to her, worrying about its welfare during her daily walks in the park. The unusual presence of Bukangyi has fostered a sense of communal spirit in Busan, which residents say had been missing in recent times.