A sea lion that was rescued last week after being entangled in plastic packaging wrap was improving Monday and could be released later this week, a Marine Mammal Center spokesman said.

"Blonde Bomber," a name given by the center, was rescued last Tuesday near Pier 39's "K-Dock" by a team from the Marine Mammal Center after being entangled in plastic packaging wrap, center spokesman Jim Oswald said.

Rescuers sedated Blonde Bomber with a dart and, once the sedative kicked in, brought it to shore, put it in a rescue carrier and returned to the center in the Marin Headlands, Oswald said.

Blonde Bomber is doing well, according to Oswald, and has begun to eat but remains stressed.

"If all goes well, he could be released a little later this week," he said.

The center rescues approximately 600 marine mammals every year and entanglements directly impact about three percent of that total, Oswald said.

But Oswald points out this is just the number of marine mammals that are rescued and there are many more that could also be in need but are not rescued.

"There are so many out there we can't take them all," he said.