3.5-meter shark enters Busan park, surprising visitors

South Korea's Bukhang Waterfront Park in Busan has been home to a massive shark that wandered in from the sea and has been circling the artificial canal for four days. Initially estimated at 13 feet, subsequent inspections determined it to be approximately 11 feet 6 inches, or 3.5 meters long.

On September 18 at 8:57 AM, a citizen walking nearby spotted a dark-shaped creature near the public walkway and reported the danger. Following this, the maritime police deployed a special rescue team, coastal boats, and a patrol vessel.

Experts spent six hours attempting to return the shark to the sea. However, after the National Institute of Fisheries Science warned that forcing it out in shallow water could trigger an attack, the operation was halted at 3:15 PM.

The shark was spotted again on September 19 and has yet to leave the canal. It surfaces to show its fin approximately every 15 minutes before diving back into the depths.

The incident has led to a surge in visitors to the park. On Saturday, 8,800 people, and on Sunday, nearly 10,000 people arrived to see the shark. Some even traveled from other cities to catch a glimpse.

For safety reasons, warning signs have been installed in the park, and viewing time is limited to 30 minutes. Police also stopped an individual who threw raw chicken into the water to feed the shark.

A smaller fish, approximately 90 centimeters long, was later spotted in a deeper part of the canal. Speculation spread on social media that it was the shark's pup, but officials have not confirmed this.

Experts suspect the massive creature belongs to the dusky or bronze whaler shark species. Busan authorities stated that the shark may have entered the port area in search of food.

Currently, officials are waiting for the tide to rise to allow the shark to return to the open sea on its own, rather than forcing it out.