A team is preparing to sail to a Pacific atoll to investigate a new theory regarding the final moments of famed aviator Amelia Earhart. The expedition aims to test a hypothesis that Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, may have been eaten by coconut crabs after crashing.
Deep Sea Vision, a private underwater exploration company, is leading the effort. The team plans to visit Nikumaroro Island, a remote atoll in the western Pacific, where they believe Earhart's Lockheed Model 10-E Electra aircraft may have crashed in 1937. This particular expedition is driven by what has been termed a "sickening crab theory," which suggests that the large crustaceans played a role in the fate of Earhart and Noonan.
Earhart, a pioneer in aviation, was on a circumnavigational flight when her plane vanished on July 2, 1937, near Howland Island. Her last known radio transmissions indicated she and Noonan were low on fuel and struggling to locate their target destination. The official investigation concluded that the aircraft likely crashed into the Pacific Ocean.
However, alternative theories have persisted for decades, with Nikumaroro Island being a focal point for many researchers. Since the late 1980s, investigators have explored the island, searching for evidence of Earhart's landing or survival. Artifacts found on the island, including possible human remains and items that could have belonged to the aviators, have fueled speculation.
Deep Sea Vision previously released sonar images that they believed might be the remains of Earhart's plane, but these were later identified as rock formations. The company's CEO, Tony Romeo, stated that they have a photograph that could be a significant clue, leading them to pursue this latest expedition. The team is scheduled to depart in November to investigate a mysterious object on the island, referred to as the Taraia Object, which they suspect could be Earhart's lost Electra.
Coconut crabs, which inhabit islands in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, are known for their immense size and strength. They can weigh up to 9 pounds (4 kg) and possess powerful claws capable of cracking open coconuts, and potentially much larger objects. The theory posits that after a crash landing on the island, Earhart and Noonan might have become prey to these formidable crustaceans.