A 22-foot-long minke whale has been the center of attention in Barnegat Bay this week.

The whale was first found Sunday stranded on a sandbar on the northwest side of Conklin Island, according to the Marine Mammal Stranding Center.

Crews were able to free the whale from the sandbar it was stranded on, but it returned to nearby shallow water twice since then. The whale was found stranded Monday in two feet of water on the southwest side of Clam Island.

MMSC says their stranding coordinator was able to walk the whale into deeper water. They say the whale’s behavior and position were observed until dusk.

On Tuesday, MMSC says the whale was found resting in shallow water in the same area. The whale was last seen around dusk heading away from the inlet.

MMSC is reminding the public to remain at least 300-feet away from the whale, and not attempt to intervene in any way as doing so can cause harm to both the whale and the public.

MMSC says they will continue to monitor the situation and ask the public to call MMSC’s 24-hour hotline 609-266-0538 with any sightings.