Finally, a Reality Show That Won't Destroy Our Souls

It's a reality show about a loving couple waiting to welcome their new arrival, watched by thousands. The 24-hour livestream of the northern royal albatrosses' breeding season at Taiaroa Head—a rugged headland on New Zealand's South Island—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. "Before that, it was very difficult to follow an albatross' life cycle because they're only on land 15% of the time," says Sharyn Broni, a New Zealand Department of Conservation ranger. But Royal Cam's popularity exploded during the pandemic. On a busy comments page hosted by the DOC, fans track the birds' locations on an app, discuss significant moments, and even create albatross-inspired art.

• Drama-free reality TV: The show's premise is simple: Each season, conservation rangers select an albatross couple. A camera on the remote headland follows the birds as they lay and incubate an egg, before their chick hatches around February, grows to adult size, and takes flight. Unlike human reality shows, drama is rare: Royal albatrosses usually mate for life. Rangers selecting the birds to follow each "season" avoid anything controversial, meaning no first-time parents and no aggressive or grumpy personalities.
• This year's stars: They're RLK, a 12-year-old male, and GLG, a 14-year-old female, who've raised two chicks before. "They're a youngish pair, but not so young that they don't know what they're doing," Broni says.
• Fans become friends: France Pilliere, a Montreal artist, has never visited New Zealand. But during the pandemic she discovered Royal Cam, fell in love with the "mysterious" creatures, and became a daily viewer. "You see the birds and all their adventures and their lives, struggling to raise their chicks," she said.
• Conservation success story under threat: The past two breeding seasons were the birds' most successful ever, with 33 chicks each year. There are more than 60 breeding pairs at the colony—conservation measures began in 1937 with one pair. The New Zealand mainland colony, one of four sites, 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.

More here. (More albatross stories.)