BUSAN, Nov. 6 (Yonhap) -- Bukang-i the shark, which drew more than a million viewers while staying in a coastal canal in the southeastern city of Busan for over a month, has not been seen for 11 consecutive days, raising the possibility that it has finally headed out to the open sea.
According to the National Institute of Fisheries Science and relevant agencies, no sightings of Bukang-i have been reported since Oct. 27 near the exit of the canal leading out to Busan's North Port, located about 330 kilometers southeast of Seoul.
Experts speculate dropping water temperatures near the canal's exit could have played a role in the shark's disappearance. The optimal water temperature for sharks is between 18 and 26 C, but surface water temperatures off the North Port have fallen to 18-19 C.
The shark -- affectionately named Bukang-i after Bukhang, Korean for North Port -- was first spotted in the canal Sept. 18. Since then, the canal park has turned into a major tourist attraction, drawing nearly 1.7 million visitors as of Oct. 29.
Local authorities made three attempts to guide the shark out of the canal into the ocean, though all of the operations ended in failure.
Since the third attempt Oct. 21, Bukang-i had stayed in waters near a pier outside the canal, although the waters there are not considered open sea. Officials installed multiple layers of barrier nets to prevent the shark from returning to the canal.
Authorities said they plan to keep the nets in place for the time being and will decide whether to remove them about a month after the shark's exit.
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