Adelaide Festival’s Beached whale in Glenelg has moved to Elder Park on the Torrens Riverbank

It had beachgoers stunned and left some in tears when it emerged at Glenelg over the weekend. Now the lifelike whale has beached itself in a new location.

The beached “whale” which stunned onlookers at Glenelg over the weekend has resurfaced on the Torrens Riverbank.

Part of the Adelaide Festival, the life-size sperm whale is an art installation designed to deliver “a powerful statement about the environment and climate change”.

That statement has now been moved to Elder Park, on the Torrens Riverbank, and will captivate passers-by over the next three days.

A theatre piece created by Belgium-based group The Captain Boomer Collective, the installation will also feature Australian actors playing scientists “examining” the animal.

The Beached Whale art installation has been moved to the banks of the River Torrens in Adelaide. Picture: Roy van der Vegt

Onlookers gathered to see the whale in its new location on Wednesday. Picture: Roy van der Vegt

On Saturday morning, the whale surprised beachgoers and left some in tears as it emerged on Glenelg beach.

There was confusion as locals and online readers speculated for a few hours on whether the sighting was in fact a real whale or an art installation.

Even in photos posted online it is difficult to determine, the huge grey creature lying on its side only a few metres from the water.

But residents at Glenelg confirmed they had seen a crane lower the huge lifelike whale onto the sand at 3am on Saturday morning, with the entire area cordoned off from the public.

The whale has made appearances in major cities around the world including London, Paris, Warsaw and Madrid – but this is its first visit to Australia.

The whale will be on display in Elder Park until 6pm tonight, and between 11am and 7pm on Thursday and Friday.