That's perfectly normal. It usually stays on the left side of the crankshaft.
There is a tool called a bearing puller. I've found that the bearing is usually too close to the crank throw to start it using the bearing puller.
I've always found I had to pry the bearing up a bit before the bearing puller would bite it. I usually take two flat blade screwdrivers and drive them on opposite sides of the bearing to get it to move up about 1/4". Once the bearing has started, a bearing puller can get a bite and pull the bearing up straight.
It's absolutely imperitive you pull the bearing up straight. Don't try to pull the bearing up withtout a bearing puller because if the bearing starts pulling sideways, it can gouge the crankshaft, ruin the bearing, or gouge the race and shaft together and lock up making it next to impossible to get the bearing off.
