According to the Kyunghyang Shinmun, Bukangi was first spotted on Sept. 18, and Oct. 17 marked its 30th day in the Bukhang waterfront park waterway. As of 6 p.m. that day, about 42,000 people had visited, and the cumulative total exceeded 1.5 million.

The Herald Business reported that the park normally sees roughly 2,000 visitors a day. Crowds lined the railings along the waterway and a pedestrian bridge across it to watch the animal. Some outlets put the cumulative figure at 1.54 million.

Bukangi is a female shark about 3 meters long, identified by the National Institute of Fisheries Science from close-up video. The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists the species as endangered. The reports reviewed did not explain how it got its name.

Two rescue attempts were made, on Sept. 29 and Oct. 2. Officials used boats and water pumps to steer the shark toward the waterway exit and set up a large net, but it avoided the net or swam back inside. Citing the risk of stress or injury from forced movement, authorities have paused further efforts and are monitoring it until it leaves on its own.

Busan city says 105 officials monitor the site daily and that there have been no safety incidents so far. Mayor Jeon Jae-soo said ‘Bukangi did it,’ praising the shark for putting Bukhang on the map and saying the area is set to become the center of Busan as a maritime capital.

Water temperature is the remaining worry. The species is generally said to prefer waters of 18 to 26 degrees Celsius, a range the waterway is currently within, but temperatures could drop as winter nears. No report reviewed gave a figure for the economic impact of the surge in visitors.