Nikumaroro, part of Kiribati’s Phoenix Islands, is in the news as search teams probe the 1937 Amelia Earhart disappearance near its suspected crash site.
A joint expedition led by the Archaeological Legacy Institute and Purdue University has arrived near Nikumaroro Island to search for the Taraia Object, believed by some to be Amelia Earhart’s missing Lockheed Electra. The team is navigating reef gaps and harsh weather while facing giant coconut crabs and unpredictable El Niño conditions. Results could confirm a long-standing decadel-old mystery.