People crowd around a waterway to see a shark at the North Port Waterfront Park in Dong District, Busan, on Sept. 20.YONHAP
A shark measuring 3 to 4 meters (9 feet, 10 inches to 13 feet, 1 inch) was spotted Sunday in a waterway alongside a walking trail at a park in the northern area of Busan Port, drawing crowds of people hoping to catch a glimpse.
It marked the third consecutive day a shark had appeared at the same location by the North Port Waterfront Park since one was first spotted there at about 8:57 a.m. Friday.
The shark seen Sunday is believed to be a bronze whaler, a species in the requiem shark family and the same species identified in the previous sightings.
Members from the Korea Busan Coast Guard Station work to drive away a bronze whaler at the North Port Waterfront Park in Busan on Sept. 18.NEWS1
People crowd around a waterway to see a shark at the North Port Waterfront Park in Dong District, Busan, on Sept. 20.YONHAP
Authorities have not determined whether it was the same shark seen earlier or a different one that had entered the waterway.
Bronze whalers are found in subtropical waters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans, including waters off Korea. They are considered potentially dangerous to humans.
The third straight day of shark sightings at the same location brought throngs of curious visitors to the park early Sunday morning.
A bronze whaler swims in a waterway at the North Port Waterfront Park in Busan on Sept. 18.YONHAP
People gather at the North Port Waterfront Park to see a shark in Busan, on Sept. 20.YONHAP
Park officials issued repeated safety warnings as crowds continued to swell. They also closed a pedestrian bridge where onlookers had gathered to watch the shark.
“We are monitoring the situation and waiting for the shark to return to the sea on its own,” the Korea Coast Guard said. “The National Institute of Fisheries Science has advised that trying to force it out could provoke aggressive behavior.”
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
