It’s been nearly 19 years since the world lost one of the greatest conservationists, Steve Irwin.

Steve’s love for the animals of any kind was enormous. He introduced many species to the wide public and always spoke of the natural world with much affection. What’s more, he passed on that love to his children who followed into their dad’s footsteps and are keeping his legacy alive.

Steve lost his life in 2006 during filming at the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. He was pierced through the chest by a stingray.“He was having trouble breathing. Even if we’d been able to get him into an emergency ward at that moment we probably wouldn’t have been able to save him, because the damage to his heart was massive,” Justin Lyon, an underwater cameraman and Steve’s close friend told Australia’s Network Ten television.

“As we’re motoring back I’m screaming at one of the other crew in the boat to put their hand over the wound and we’re saying to him things like, ‘Think of your kids, Steve, hang on, hang on, hang on.’ He just sort of calmly looked up at me and said, ‘I’m dying.’ And that was the last thing he said.”