South Korea embraces a huge shark slowly circling a canal in the country's biggest port city

A large gray shark named Bukangi has become an unofficial mascot in Busan, South Korea, after getting trapped in a canal near the city’s North Port for nearly two weeks. First spotted on Sept. 18, the shark—about 3.5 meters (11.5 feet) long—has drawn thousands of tourists, with about 600,000 visitors visiting the port since counting began on Sept. 19, including nearly half a million during the Chuseok holiday break. Officials deployed five vessels Tuesday, using water streams to herd it toward open sea, but crews gave up after hours as the shark repeatedly avoided the boats. Authorities plan another attempt as early as Friday, with a special long net being prepared by the National Institute of Fisheries Science.