The shark was first reported at about 8:57 a.m. last Friday in a waterway connected to the sea at North Port Waterfront Park in the southern port city's Dong district.
The Korea Coast Guard initially tried to guide the shark toward open water but halted the effort after several hours. Fisheries authorities advised against forcing it out because the animal could become agitated or injured.
It is believed to be a copper shark, known in Korean as mutaesangeo, according to fisheries authorities. The species, Carcharhinus brachyurus, is found in Korean waters and can grow to around 3 meters.
Its appearance comes amid a broader increase in large sharks around South Korea's eastern waters.
The National Institute of Fisheries Science recorded 46 large-shark appearances along the east coast between April and June, up from 12 during the same period last year. The institute attributed the increase partly to warmer waters and a growing presence of warm-water prey such as mackerel and bluefin tuna.
The institute has advised people to leave the water immediately and alert local authorities or the Coast Guard if they encounter a shark.
AJP Takeaways
- A 3- to 4-meter shark was spotted at Busan's North Port Waterfront Park for three straight days.
- The first report came Friday morning from a waterway beside a public promenade.
- Authorities stopped attempts to force the shark out and are allowing it to return to open water on its own.
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