Overview
- Rescuers called off a water-spray herding operation after a Sept. 29 attempt using five vessels failed to move the shark toward the canal exit.
- The National Institute of Fisheries Science reported the animal’s activity and respiration as stable during inspections, but scientists warn that the shallow, narrow 1.5 km canal can weaken a large deep-water shark over time.
- Authorities say they will attempt another rescue within days using a custom-made net designed to fit the canal’s width and depth after the water-jet method proved ineffective.
- The shark has drawn mass public attention during the Chuseok holiday, with officials reporting roughly 568,800–607,000 visitors and naming the animal an honorary city ambassador following a public poll.
- Experts disagree on the species — suggestions include basking shark, bronze whaler, dusky-type, and bull shark — a dispute that matters because species-specific behavior affects how the animal responds to herding and whether it can feed in the canal, and regional warming may be increasing shark sightings off Korea’s east coast.