Steve Irwin’s Untimely Passing
Australia has always been a culture on the edge. When Americans think of Australia, Steve Irwin has for a number of years been an Australian icon.
I have always loved various wildlife programs. Growing up, I watched Marlin Perkins’ Wild Kingdom as they traveled to various locales. Each episode would start out with an introduction in a studio office where Marlin would talk about where they were going, and what they would be doing. They might show a map or point to a spot on a globe, and then they would take you there.
The exciting part would begin. You could experience the dangers of the wild from the safety of your armchair (or lying on the living room floor since the armchair was your dad’s chair). There have been many great land-based documentaries, but even more fascinating than that were those that took place underwater. There is a greater element of danger that the water poses. Less mobility and the need for an air supply contribute to the danger, as well as the unexpected possibilities that water wildlife bring to the equation.
I’m a decent swimmer myself, but ever since Jaws, I have never liked “swimming with the fishes” if you wish to call it that (no mafia pun intended). I was sad to hear this week that Steve Irwin had passed away. He was a wonderful showman, his trademark getting too close to the animals for comfort. We all really hoped that nothing would ever happen, that like Marlin Perkins he would have a long life of producing incredible footage of the animals he must have loved so much. I can only imagine that he would have wanted to be with the wildlife when he passed away, rather than in a nursing home somewhere. There is absolutely no doubt Steve Irwin knew the risks of his adventures. Who would have thought though, that his passing would be a result of a stingray accident? Divers often swim with these gentle animals. They even have pools in which you can touch rays at the Ripley’s Aquariums in various parts of the US; I’ve even touched one myself. (For those of you who haven’t, they are very soft and spongy.) But they don’t call it “wild” life for nothing.
When I was in Cairns, Australia, I went for a day of swimming out on the Great Barrier Reef. There was incredible wildlife out there in the clearest waters you’d ever seen. We had the opportunity to go snorkeling among the coral, and near the fish out there. It was very rare, but I do remember them telling us, should you accidentally come across the “right” kind of poisonous thing, you probably wouldn’t last long enough to make it back to Cairns for medical attention. It is a risk that you take when diving, but people do it all the time. I remember that there was one lady who did get stung walking in the shallows. Seeing that I had just seen a ray in the shallow water’s sand where I was walking, I’m guessing she startled one by stepping on it. However, such stings are rarely fatal. From what I remember her saying after being treated, the sting would probably affect her from time to time for the next few months or maybe years (a side effect of the venom), but she would ultimately be OK. (I can only speculate, but I’m guessing it wasn’t the venom of the sting that was fatal to Mr. Irwin, but the proximity of the sting).
I love the water, but I didn’t like being out in the water with the creatures one bit. I did happen to see on the sand at the bottom of the shallows what was called, “a blue-spotted lagoon ray” (yeah, I know that sounds like the name of a creature made up for Gilligan’s Island). But it was real, and it was amazing to see it up close and personal. I’m glad that there are people like Steve Irwin who want to show us the magnificent creatures of the world. I hope there will always be others, in spite of this turn of events. Steve Irwin’s untimely passing was a freak accident. His adventures inspired us. May they live on in his previous work! The world will miss him. –Cal Samuel August
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