Rise in shark sightings near popular beaches stir anxiety

A three-meter-long, 100-kilogram (220-pound) porbeagle that was found dead in waters off Busan on Aug. 22. [BUSAN COAST GUARD]

 
For the second year in a row, large sharks are appearing in the waters not far from popular beaches in Busan, fueling unease among summer vacationers. With rising sea temperatures expected to bring more encounters, local governments are weighing how best to respond.
 
According to the Busan Coast Guard, officers on patrol discovered a shark floating in the waters off Bongnae-dong, Yeongdo District, around 6:30 a.m. on Aug. 22. The shark, a three-meter-long, 100-kilogram (220-pound) porbeagle, was already dead when found.  
 
“It’s not considered a highly aggressive species toward humans,” an official said, adding that the carcass was handed over to local authorities for disposal after consultation with the National Institute of Fisheries Science.
 

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A large shark was previously found off Yeongdo on July 2 last year. That time it was a two-meter sandbar shark, notorious for attacks on humans, caught dead in a fishing net. It marked the first recorded appearance of the species south of Juk Island, near the coastal city of Pohang. The discovery took place roughly 2.8 kilometers (1.7 miles) from Songdo Beach, which draws roughly three million visitors each summer.
 
In recent years, reports of shark sightings near shore have risen sharply. The National Institute of Fisheries Science recorded only one report in 2022, mostly from the East Sea, where sightings are more common. By 2023, the number had jumped to 15, and last year to 44.
 
“Shark appearances peak between April and August,” said Kim Maeng-jin, a researcher at the institute’s East Sea Fisheries Research Center. “We mostly see warm-water species like shortfin makos and blue sharks.”  
 
The increase, he said, stems from shifting migration patterns. “As the seas warm after winter, prey species like yellowtail and mackerel move north, and the sharks follow. When we examine the stomachs of captured sharks, we often find those fish.”
 
So far this year, reports from the East Sea have declined to 29, compared with last year’s tally. “Temperatures and sea warming have been less intense this year, so prey migration has been lower,” Kim explained.
 
In parts of the East Sea, nets are often installed offshore to block shark access to beaches. At Gyeongpo Beach in Gangneung, Gangwon, 21 shark-repelling devices that emit magnetic fields have been carried by lifeguards or mounted on water scooters since July.
 

A life guard at Gyeonpo Beach in Gangneung, Gangwon, sporting a device that emits magnetic fields to repell sharks while on duty on Aug. 25. [PARK JIN-HO]

 
In response to the consecutive shark appearances, the city of Busan recently sent notices to five district governments that manage beaches, including Haeundae, as well as to local fishing cooperatives.  
 
The message urged authorities to strengthen monitoring, issue public announcements, and encourage fishermen to promptly report sightings. “We have jellyfish nets in place, but no facilities specifically to deter sharks,” a city official acknowledged, adding that budget constraints complicate new measures.
 
Choi Yoon, a professor of marine biology at Kunsan National University, said more proactive planning was needed.  
 
“With sharks appearing more often nearshore, local governments must prepare,” he said. “Beyond nets, buoy systems equipped with solar-powered electric current devices could be effective. Sharks are highly sensitive — currents as faint as one one-hundred-millionth of a volt are enough to repel them.”
 


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.
BY KIM MIN-JU [lee.junhyuk@joongang.co.kr]