South Korea seeks new ways to free a huge gray shark after it slips back into canal

A city in South Korea is again trying to free a huge dusky shark from a narrow canalByKIM TONG-HYUNG Associated PressOctober 22, 2026, 2:32 AMSEOUL, South Korea -- A city in South Korea is trying on Thursday to come up with a new way to free a huge dusky shark out of a narrow canal. Workers in the port city of Busan had herded the shark, nicknamed Bukangi, out of the canal the day before, after weeks of trial and error — only for it to swim right back in hours later.Now Busan authorities and the country's Oceans and Fisheries Ministry are determined to guide Bukangi back to open water, saying it is critical for the shark’s safety and health.The unconventional rescue effort on Wednesday involved dozens of workers maneuvering a floating platform through the canal to push the 3-meter-long (9.8-foot) female dusky shark out. After lingering in nearby waters for hours, the shark swam beneath an outer barrier net installed on the platform that night and reentered the waterway. According to officials, Bukangi is now stuck between that net and a second one about 50 meters (55 yards) into the mouth of the canal, with on-site inspectors and rescuers debating ways to guide it back out as the s...