Steve Irwin death: Bindi Irwin shares heartbreaking tribute to dad 20 years on

Bindi Irwin has shared an emotional tribute to her father Steve Irwin, marking two decades since the beloved Australian wildlife icon was killed while filming off the Queensland coast.

The Crocodile Hunter died on September 4, 2006, after being struck by a stingray while filming a documentary at Batt Reef.

Bindi was just eight years old when she lost her father.

Twenty years later, she has opened up about the grief her family has carried since his death, and the way Steve continues to be part of their lives.

“20 years ago, today, the world lost the most passionate and dedicated wildlife conservationist,” Bindi wrote alongside a video of her father.

“Our family lost our superhero. My mum lost the love of her life; my brother and I lost the greatest dad.”

Bindi said the pain of losing Steve had never simply disappeared.

“Grief never truly leaves us; we walk alongside it every day,” she wrote.

“Where there is enormous grief, there is even greater love.”

The 28-year-old then shared a particularly poignant insight into how her father is remembered by the next generation.

Bindi’s five-year-old daughter, Grace Warrior, was born more than a decade after Steve’s death and never had the chance to meet her grandfather.

But that has not stopped her from forming a connection with him.

“I have a 5-year-old daughter who watches his documentaries every morning,” Bindi wrote.

“She feels utterly loved by her ‘grandpa crocodile’ without ever having met him.”

Bindi said Steve’s presence could still be felt through the impact he had on the people around him.

“My dad left a lasting impact so poignant that it will ripple out for generations to come,” she said.

“I believe with my whole heart that his love will live on forever. In all of us.”

She finished the emotional post by speaking directly to her father.

“Dad, I love you with my whole heart. Thank you for being our guardian angel,” she wrote.

“And most of all, thank you for watching over my daughter now, too. She loves you so much. We all do.”

Steve’s widow and Bindi’s mother Terri Irwin commented “Your dad loves you so very much”.

The tribute was accompanied by archival footage of Steve speaking about the birth of his daughter.

In the footage, Steve described Bindi’s arrival as an overwhelming and euphoric moment, recalling how he held his newborn daughter in the palm of his hands.

“I swear she just fitted right in here in the palm of my hands,” Steve said.

“I was flabbergasted, and it was then that her name evolved.”

Steve went on to explain how Bindi was given her name.

Her first name came from one of his favourite crocodiles, while her middle name, Sue, was inspired by Sui, the family dog he shared with his wife Terri.

The wildlife star said the birth of his daughter had left him overwhelmed with emotion.

“It was a combination of adrenaline and emotion,” he said.

“I was just, it was a euphoric feeling. I was in total utopia. We both were to bring this little girl into the world.”

Steve was 44 when he died while filming Ocean’s Deadliest in Far North Queensland.

His death shocked Australia and fans around the world, with his wife Terri and children Bindi and Robert continuing his conservation work through Australia Zoo in the years since.