CULTURE

Expedition Targets Nikumaroro Lagoon's Taraia Object

A backyard discovery has revived the hunt for Amelia Earhart. In 2020, US Navy veteran Mike Ashmore spotted an odd, elongated shape in Nikumaroro’s lagoon on Apple Maps, later dubbed the Taraia Object. Archaeologist Rick Pettigrew says it appears in images back to 1938 and will lead a Purdue-backed expedition, departing Majuro on November 4, to investigate the site for five days. TIGHAR’s Ric Gillespie argues the image shows a tree and that the plane was destroyed. Meanwhile, ocean explorers at Nauticos plan a separate deep-sea search near Howland Island next year.

Reviewed by JQJO team

#earhart #mystery #expedition #history #aviation