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New Zealand Museum Releases 47 Nikumaroro Aerial Photos

By Drooid · Oct 16, 2026, 2:56 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

New Zealand’s Air Force Museum released 47 high-resolution 1938 aerial photos of Nikumaroro, Kiribati.
The photos were taken on 1 December 1938 by an amphibious biplane surveying Pacific islands for airbase sites.
Purdue University and Archaeological Legacy Institute team landed on Nikumaroro 12 October 2026 to examine the Taraia Object.
The team reported no immediate metal in the Taraia area despite severe weather delays.

History

Historical Context

Amelia Earhart vanished on 2 July 1937 while attempting a 2,556-mile flight from Lae to Howland Island, sparking a worldwide search. The United States Navy deployed 13 PBY Catalina aircraft, scanning over 250,000 square miles of the Pacific in late 1937. A year later, the Royal New Zealand Air Force captured 47 high-resolution 1938 aerial photographs of Nikumaroro, the island long suspected in Earhart’s fate. Today, Purdue University and the Archaeological Legacy Institute revisit those sites, hoping the historic imagery guides their 2026 expedition to resolve the lingering mystery.

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Story summary

New Zealand’s Air Force Museum released 47 high-resolution 1938 aerial photos of Nikumaroro, Kiribati.
The photos were taken on 1 December 1938 by an amphibious biplane surveying Pacific islands for airbase sites.
Purdue University and Archaeological Legacy Institute team landed on Nikumaroro 12 October 2026 to examine the Taraia Object.
The team reported no immediate metal in the Taraia area despite severe weather delays.

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