Robert Irwin shares ‘super special’ tribute to late dad Steve Irwin
Robert Irwin is “just a boy. On a flight with his dad” — and fans can’t handle it.
The 21-year-old wildlife conservationist is going viral after sharing a video on Instagram of him browsing through a list of “popular movies” to watch while on a Qatar Airways flight.
It didn’t take long for him to stumble upon “The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course.”
The film, released in 2002, stars none other than Steve Irwin, a.k.a the Crocodile Hunter, alongside his wife, Terri Irwin, as they attempt to save a crocodile from (what they believe to be) poachers.
The couple went on to welcome their son, Robert Irwin, the year after the film was released.
Steve Irwin tragically died in 2006 after getting stung by a stingray while filming in the Great Barrier Reef. He was 44 at the time. Robert Irwin was 2.
Now nearly two decades later, Steve Irwin is accompanying his son (spiritually) on a Qatar Airways flight.
“When the in-flight movie selection is elite,” Robert Irwin wrote in the caption of his June 22 post.
“Super special,” his mother, Terri Irwin, wrote in the comment section.
“The best,” his sister, Bindi Irwin, who was born in 1998, added in the comments.
One fan commented, “Home is whenever I’m with you,” in reference to the song “Home” by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros playing in the background of Robert Irwin’s post.
“This is precious! Following in your daddy’s footsteps! He would be so proud of you!” another fan wrote.
“Bro just consistently has me crying,” a third fan commented.
“Just a boy. On a flight with his dad,” another wrote.
After Robert Irwin stumbled upon the movie, he turned the camera back on himself and smiled before clicking play and giving a thumbs up.
Robert Irwin has talked openly in the past about what his father’s legacy means to him.
In an exclusive interview with People, published April 4, Robert Irwin described his dad as his hero.
“My inspiration through everything I do. He’s really the guiding light in my life. And when I’m at home and working on wildlife conservation projects, I feel close to him and to his legacy,” he told People.
“My dad is and always will be my hero. He’s my absolute hero,” he added.
Robert Irwin went on to claim that there will “never be another Steve Irwin,” but he hopes to carry on his father’s legacy and pave the way for a new generation.
“He is and always will be an entity on its own, and no one will ever match that,” Robert Irwin added of his father.
“But if I can carry forward a little bit of that positivity, that passion, that enthusiasm to a new generation, then my job’s done,” he concluded.
In a May interview with Us Weekly, Robert Irwin credited his mom for “keeping that legacy going” and thanked her for being the family’s “pillar of strength” despite how hard Steve Irwin’s death must be on her.
“We really, really have it all to thank you for that. So, thank you,” Robert Irwin said to his mom.
