A Purdue University-backed expedition has just reached Nikumaroro to inspect the Taraia Object, a submerged lagoon anomaly spotted in 2020 satellite imagery and visible since 1938, but skeptics including prior search veterans dismiss it as likely a fallen tree or natural formation rather than Earhart’s Lockheed Electra. The 17-person team has only days on site before returning in late October, with no guarantee of conclusive identification amid the remote conditions and limited equipment. Decades of sonar, aerial, and ground searches have repeatedly produced false leads, including a 2024 deep-sea anomaly later confirmed as rocks, while the tight window to year-end leaves little room for follow-up verification or recovery. Trader consensus reflects this pattern of repeated near-misses and the inherent difficulty of confirming a 1937 crash site in time.