Famous Oceanic Detective Has Local Ally [PHIL-OSOPHY]

In 1985, world-renowned scientist and finder of lost things, Dr. Robert Ballard, discovered the wreckage of the Titanic sitting on the ocean floor. In a moment, I'll tell you about Ballard's desire to find the remains of the plane Amelia Earhart was piloting when she vanished in 1937.

But first, let me tell you that John Lobo of New Bedford City Hall fame and Ballard have been friends for a long time.

Mr. Lobo has known Dr. Ballard since the 1970s when they met at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Falmouth. During a secret Cold War Navy mission, Ballard and his team discovered the Titanic scattered beneath the Atlantic Ocean. John Lobo was aboard when Dr. Ballard started bringing up artifacts from the Titanic. The New Bedford resident was part of Ballard's team during that historic search and will be sharing his experiences on The Phil Paleologos Show soon.

Now, cut back to Dr. Ballard's passion to find the remnants of the Lockheed model 10-E Electra that Earhart was flying when she and her navigator, Fred Noonan, disappeared over the Pacific. Until recently, Ballard accepted the Navy's version of Earhart's fate that on July 2, 1937, near the end of their round-the-world flight, they crashed into the ocean near the shores of Nikumaroro, a small island.

But now, Ballard says a new clue may lead him to the spot where Amelia Earhart's plane went down more than 80 years ago. John Lobo believes very strongly that Ballard is on to something here and will definitely find the plane. Does Lobo know something we don't know? Only time will tell, and apparently very soon.

Phil Paleologos is the host of The Phil Paleologos Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Contact him at phil@wbsm.com and follow him on Twitter @PhilPaleologos. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.