An expedition led by Purdue University and the Archaeological Legacy Institute has resumed underwater investigations on Nikumaroro Island in Kiribati, seeking evidence of Amelia Earhart’s missing plane. The research team arrived at the remote atoll earlier in the week and began initial surveys, but strong winds and rough seas generated by El Niño conditions forced the researchers to remain aboard their vessel for three days until conditions improved on Sunday.
The investigation centers on the so-called Taraia Object, an underwater feature visible in historical aerial imagery dating to 1938 that researchers believe could be remnants of Earhart’s twin-engine Lockheed Electra. The aviator vanished in 1937 while attempting to fly around the world. She was attempting to reach Howland Island to refuel when radio contact was lost. One prevailing theory suggests she may have accidentally navigated to Nikumaroro instead, where she crash-landed and subsequently perished as a castaway.
The expedition involves multiple phases of underwater work, including depth measurements and sediment sampling. Difficult weather conditions delayed the start of the second phase, prompting researchers to extend the overall timeline for fieldwork. New Zealand’s Air Force Museum released previously unseen reconnaissance photographs of the island taken in 1938, though the Taraia Object is not clearly visible in those images. The photographs do show the wreck of the SS Norwich City, a British merchant ship that ran aground on the island during a storm in 1929.
Researchers have noted that the Norwich City incident demonstrates the hazardous conditions surrounding Nikumaroro and lend support to theories about Earhart’s potential arrival there. Some proponents of the castaway theory have suggested that radio transmissions attributed to Earhart after her disappearance may have referenced the nearby shipwreck. Previous search efforts, including a 2024 sonar investigation near Howland Island and a 2019 expedition to examine potential landing gear, have not yielded conclusive results. Officials stated they would share findings once investigations are complete.
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