WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) 鈥� It鈥檚 a reality show about a loving couple waiting to welcome their new arrival, watched by thousands of ardent fans. But the stars of Royal Cam, now in its 10th season, aren鈥檛 socialites or hopefuls in love but northern royal albatrosses 鈥� majestic seabirds with 10-foot (3-meter) wingspans.
The 24-hour livestream of the birds鈥� breeding season at Taiaroa Head 鈥� a rugged headland on New Zealand鈥檚 South Island 鈥� was established to raise awareness of the vulnerable species, numbers of which have grown slowly over decades of painstaking conservation measures.
Millions have watched the stream since it began in 2016.
鈥淏efore that, it was very difficult to follow an albatross鈥� life cycle because they鈥檙e only on land 15% of the time,鈥� said Sharyn Broni, a Department of Conservation ranger who has worked with the birds for nearly three decades. 鈥淵ou鈥檇 have to travel a long way to see one.鈥�
But Royal Cam's popularity exploded during the coronavirus pandemic. On a busy comments page hosted by New Zealand鈥檚 Department of Conservation, devoted fans track the birds鈥� locations on an app, discuss significant moments and even create art inspired by the albatross.
Drama-free reality TV
The show's premise is simple: Each season, conservation rangers select an albatross couple as that year鈥檚 stars. A camera on the remote headland follows the chosen birds as they lay and incubate an egg, before their chick hatches around February, grows to adult size, and finally takes flight.
Unlike human reality shows, drama is rare: Royal albatrosses usually mate for life. Rangers selecting the birds to follow each 鈥渟eason鈥� avoid anything controversial: no first-time parents and no aggressive or grumpy personalities.
This year鈥檚 stars are RLK, a 12-year-old male, and GLG, a 14-year-old female, who have raised two chicks before. Their names are derived from the colors on bands that rangers attach to their legs.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e a youngish pair, but not so young that they don鈥檛 know what they鈥檙e doing,鈥� Broni said.
Action unfolds slowly, which for many fans is the joy of it. Clouds drift by, ships pass in the distance and the sun sets in glowing pinks and peaches. During January, incubation season, an albatross sits on an egg.
But regular watchers anticipate certain moments: About once every 10 days, the second bird in the pair returns from feeding at sea to relieve the parent looking after the nest. Other fan highlights include albatross crash landings, mating dances and the appearances of rangers or the feathered stars of previous seasons.
Fans become friends
France Pilli猫re, an artist who lives in Montreal, has never visited . But during the pandemic she discovered Royal Cam, fell in love with the 鈥渕ysterious鈥� creatures, and became a daily viewer.
鈥淵ou see the birds and all their adventures and their lives, struggling to raise their chicks,鈥� she said.
Pilli猫re stayed, too, for the global community of posters. Unlike much of the internet, the nearly 75,000 comments on the Royal Cam viewing page are uniformly encouraging and educational.
鈥淲e care about these people,鈥� Pilli猫re said of her fellow posters. 鈥淚f one is on a flight to New Zealand, everyone is waiting to hear their comments.鈥�
A conservation success story under threat
The past two breeding seasons were the birds鈥� most successful ever, with 33 chicks each year. There are more than 60 breeding pairs at the colony 鈥� conservation measures began in 1937 with one pair.
Progress is unhurried because the northern royal albatross lives long and slowly; after their first flight, chicks stay at sea for 4 to 10 years 鈥� traveling up to 118,000 miles a year 鈥� then spend about three years choosing a mate. They live until around 40.
The New Zealand mainland colony 鈥� one of four sites 鈥� is home to 1% of the 17,000 birds worldwide. While breeding measures have proved a success, Broni said, the birds are more threatened than before by plastic pollution, fisheries and warming seas.
Pilli猫re said the death of a chick from ingesting plastic in 2023 had prompted her to drastically reduce her household鈥檚 plastic use. The royal albatross has also crept into her work as a sculptor of animals.
The livestream of Taiaroa Head is "a real soothing place,鈥� Pilli猫re said. 鈥淭he only thing you see is positive. The chatters will often say it鈥檚 their best place to be.鈥�
Charlotte Graham-mclay, The Associated Press
