Meet The Next Royal Family In New Zealand

The Northern Royal Albatross Cam is back for a brand-new season from New Zealand’s South Island! The 2025–26 season returns to the breeding colony at Pukekura/Taiaroa Head, where the camera is focused on the Plateau nest site. Here, 11-year-old male WYL (named for his leg bands: White, Yellow, Lime) and 12-year-old female BOK (Blue, Orange, blacK) are beginning their first season as the cam’s featured pair.

Watch above to see BOK rise to show off her single egg, laid on November 6, 2025.

WYL and BOK have been together since 2022 and successfully raised a male chick to fledging in 2024. Now, they’re back after a year recharging at sea. For the next month or so, they’ll be working in long shifts to incubate their egg towards an expected hatch in January.

Follow the Northern Royal Albatross Cam on Mastodon and Twitter/X for daily updates about the pair throughout the breeding season.