Berhampur: Thousands of Olive Ridley hatchlings emerged from the sandy pits near the Rushikulya river mouth in Ganjam district and crawled towards the sea early on Saturday, marking the second phase of mass hatching.The spectacle unfolded a month after the first phase of mass hatching on April 10, when millions of baby turtlesmade their way into the sea. Officials expect the ongoing hatching to continue for another three to four days. “We are trying our best to ensure the safety of baby turtles,” said Dibya Shankar Behera, assistant conservator of forests (ACF).A record 6,98,698 Olive Ridleys had nested across a 5-km stretch from Podampeta to Bateswar during the first phase of mass nesting between Feb 16 and 23. Another 2,05,000 turtles laid eggs along the same stretch between March 22 and 27 during the second phase of nesting.Forest officials said the exact number of hatchlings reaching the sea during the first phase could not be counted due to logistical challenges.Forest officials and local volunteers have stepped up efforts to safeguard the hatchlings.”We have fenced the entire area to keep out wild dogs, jackals and hyenas,” Behera said, adding that patrolling along the beach is underway to protect the hatchlings from aerial predators such as crows and kites. The area has been declared a no-entry zone to minimise disturbances.”Local volunteers collected some of the baby turtles in buckets, as they had strayed from their path and released them into the sea,” said Rabindra Nath Sahu, secretary of the Ganjam District Sea Turtle Protection Committee.