Steve Irwin's Son Robert Swims With Manta Ray to Kick off Shark Week

Steve "The Crocodile Hunter" Irwin's son, Robert Irwin, shocked some fans on Sunday by swimming alongside a giant manta ray. Steve Irwin passed away in 2006 after being jabbed by a stingray while filming a TV special. Robert is apparently out to show his followers that the animals aren't to be blamed or feared.

Robert's Instagram post included 8 photos and 2 videos from a recent filming expedition with the Discovery Channel. The first and most striking photo showed him with a giant manta ray — a distant cousin of the stingray that took his father's life. The full tale of his manta ray swim will premiere on Discovery next weekend as a part of Shark Week, he explained, but this preview got the point across nicely. He wrote: "Sunday, July 11 at 8 p.m. I get the honour of kicking off Shark Week on Discovery in the USA with 'Crikey! It's Shark Week!'"

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Robert Irwin (@robertirwinphotography)

For those that don't recall, Steve Irwin was swimming in the Great Barrier Reef when a stingray barb pierced his chest in 2006. However, Irwin had always encouraged his viewers to love and appreciate wildlife, and in that spirit, fans tried not to cast blame or explanations for his death onto the creature. That may be why Robert is now returning to that same location for his new special.

"For the first leg of this epic adventure, I'll travel to the spectacular Great Barrier Reef as a warm up before I go face to face with great white sharks at the Neptune Islands," he wrote. "From night diving with sharks on the hunt, to getting one-on-one with massive manta rays, it was a great way to start this expedition!"

Fans did not fail to make the connection. One commented: "Your old man would be so stoked and proud," while another added: "What an absolutely amazing adventure. Your dad will be right there with you. Can't wait to follow along on your travels." A third wrote: "I did not realise I had PTSD until this moment, please be careful."

Unlike stingrays, manta rays do not have barbs, so Robert was relatively safe from that danger, at least. He and his family have dedicated themselves to carrying on his father's work of wildlife advocacy through educational media, and they seem to be doing well. At 17 years old, Robert is already headlining Shark Week — one of the biggest TV events of the year.

Shark Week starts on Sunday, July 11 at 8 p.m. ET on Discovery. It will be streaming on the outlet's subscription service Discovery+ as well. Visit the Discovery website here for the full schedule.