Fans often compare conservationist Robert Irwin 's contagious passion for wildlife to his late father, Crocodile Hunter star Steve Irwin . Steve tragically died in 2006 after a sting ray barb pierced his heart. And a "haunting" new photo of Robert freediving with a similar animal recently ignited fan debate.
On Monday, July 15, Robert took to Instagram with a stunning underwater picture of himself next to a wild sea creature.
"Happy #WorldSharkAndRayDay … I’ve got a lot of love for elasmobranchs!" the 20-year-old captioned his update. "This was quite an experience freediving with an incredibly friendly manta ray, just gorgeous. Our oceanic wildlife is in dire need of our appreciation and protection."
In the comments, Robert's mother, Terri Irwin , wrote, "These gentle giants are so special to share the ocean with!"
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Despite Terri's reassurance about the manta ray's temperament, several Instagram users expressed their concern. One wrote, "I think the whole of Australia has PTSD looking at this pic 😢."
Another commented, "Beautiful photo, but I can’t help but feel this picture is haunting at the same time unfortunately."
Someone else wrote, "Not me yelling 'Get away from that stingray right now' at the photo. 😂😭😭😭😭😭 We just can’t handle it, Robert. 😭."
However, many Instagram users were quick to point out that Steve was killed by a stingray, not a manta ray.
One fan explained, "This is a manta ray not a sting ray people! Bindi has spoken in an interview about how they love the creatures and theres no negative thoughts towards them."
Meanwhile, yet another Instagram user shared, "I’m sure he realized better than anyone that there’s something eerie about that image, but I truly love that he went out to take it. It’s what Steve would want."
Next: Terri Irwin Recalls Conversation She and Late Husband Steve Had When They First Met: 'And the Rest Is History'
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