In August 2019, deep-sea explorer Robert Ballard led an expedition to Nikumaroro Island seeking Amelia Earhart's Lockheed Model 10-E Electra. The pioneering aviator and her navigator Fred Noonan vanished on July 2, 1937, while attempting to circumnavigate the globe. Conventional theory holds the plane crashed into the Pacific near Howland Island after running out of fuel.

An alternative theory suggests Earhart landed on Nikumaroro's coral reef barrier, where she survived for weeks. British settlers discovered 13 bones on the island in 1940, initially thought to be Earhart's but later identified as a short European male. However, researchers now believe coconut crabs may have scattered additional bones. When researchers tested this theory using a pig carcass, the crabs removed most flesh and dragged bones up to 60 feet away.

Recent DNA testing on skull fragments found in a museum revealed they belonged to a young Polynesian woman from 1,000 years ago, not Earhart. While Ballard's team found no evidence of the Electra during their comprehensive search, the mystery endures. The enduring fascination with Earhart's disappearance continues to drive exploration and speculation about one of aviation's greatest unsolved mysteries.