By The Straits Times | Created at 2026-09-21 10:56:41 | Updated at 2026-09-21 11:28:42
48 minutes ago
SEOUL – The authorities in Busan said on Sept 21 that they were restricting night access to a waterfront park after large crowds continued to flock there to catch sight of a shark that had lingered in the area for a third day.
The shark, measuring about 3.5m, was first spotted around 9am on Sept 18 near Busan North Port. The animal is believed to be a dusky shark, although the National Institute of Fisheries Science has yet to formally confirm the species.
Busan officials and the regional coast guard on Sept 18 mobilised boats and a rescue unit to guide the shark to open waters. Those attempts were suspended after the National Institute of Fisheries Science warned that forcing the shark out may prompt an attack.
The shark had not left the area as at Sept 21, with crowds continuing to gather to watch it.
Local media said nearly 30,000 visitors came to the North Port over the weekend to catch a glimpse of the animal.
The authorities decided to restrict access to the park from 6.30pm on Sept 21 as visitor numbers outstripped security resources.
Many people are wondering how the shark, which has become something of a local celebrity, ended up in the waterway – and why it has yet to leave.
The most likely explanation is that it ended up in the waterway by accident.
“It is very rare for sharks to come this far into the waterway. It is presumed to have followed its prey and gotten lost,” a researcher at the National Institute of Fisheries Science told local media.
As sea temperatures rise, warm-water fish and predators that feed on them, including sharks, have been rapidly moving northwards.
The average sea surface temperature during the first six months of 2026 was 17.2 deg C, the highest since 2001, according to the institute.
Busan Mayor Jeon Jae-soo also said that the shark was believed to have come to the area in search of food, as climate change has brought more warm-water fish to North Port.
“Looked at another way, the shark’s presence is evidence that the ecosystem at North Port Waterfront Park is that healthy,” he said on Facebook on Sept 20.
“We will continue to take care of North Port so that it can become a beautiful sea where diverse forms of life can coexist.” THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
