It’s been nearly fifteen years since the “Crocodile Hunter” legend himself Steve Irwin passed away after being tragically impaled by a stringray and he is still missed by millions of fans to this day. Now the Crocodile Hunter’s son, Robert Irwin, is picking up his torch in a big way as Shark Week 2021 approaches.
Steve would undoubtedly be very proud if he could see that his 17 year-old son Robert is carrying on his legacy in a beautiful way.
Robert Irwin may still be a teenager, but he is squarely following in his father’s footsteps by filming his own “Shark Week” special. The native Aussie even gets to swim with sharks!
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Robert Irwin Promotes Shark Week Special
To promote his Shark Week special, Robert Irwin gave an interview to Entertainment Tonight in which he talked about what carrying on his dad’s legacy is like.
“I feel very, very lucky that I get to have such an amazing family around me, kind of help keep this legacy going that my dad started,” Robert said.
“I feel like all the work that we do is so important, and I just feel like it’s who I am more than what I do,” he added.
“Even right now, we’re at our wildlife hospital at Australia Zoo, and every day is just — it’s a new adventure, and I feel like I’m the luckiest kid in the world. It’s an honor, it really is.”
Steve Irwin Died When He Was 2
Robert was just 2 years-old when his dad was killed, and his upcoming special includes footage of him as a baby holding an alligator while Steve looked on.
“It’s amazing. It’s so meaningful,” Robert said. “Honestly, I think that for me, of course losing dad at such a young age, that’s a tough thing to go through, and everyone will experience grief at some point in their life, and I just feel very lucky that I had such an amazing dad.”
“He was, of course, a wildlife warrior, a force of nature,” Robert added. “But he was the greatest father. He was always there for Bindi and I and his passion was just to teach us and impart as much wisdom as possible.”
Robert went on to talk about how grateful he is that much of the two years that he spent with his father was captured on film.
“And for me, to have so much of my life with him captured on camera, it’s just wonderful because I was less than three when he passed away,” he explained.
“Memories definitely start to fade but when I can have this whole archive, this whole amazing set of footage I can go back on, I can literally just rewind, press play and relive all these amazing moments.”
Robert Irwin On What His Crocodile Hunter Dad Would Be Doing Today
Robert also knows exactly what his dad would be doing if he were alive today.
“I know that if he was still around today, he would be still fighting the good fight as a wildlife warrior and I would hope doing things like this Shark Week,” he said. “Following in his footsteps, I hope that he’d be proud, because for me, in my life, that’s what I want to do more than anything else. I just want to make him proud.”
Shark Week returns to the Discovery Channel on July 11. What a treat for die-hard Shark Week fans to see an Irwin grace this year’s lineup.
It’s heartwarming to see this young man going above and beyond to move his father’s legacy forward.
No doubt Steve Irwin would be so proud of you, Robert!
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