There was just something that felt off in the days leading up to Steve Irwin's fatal incident.
While on the "I've Got News For You" podcast, Steve's longtime pal and producer John Stainton recalled "The Crocodile Hunter" giving a "very, very weird" speech to the cast and crew just before filming the documentary "Ocean's Deadliest."
"A couple of days before we started the show, he made a little speech to all the crew that were up there catching crocs for his research trip — which I joined at the end with our crew," John said. "He was sort of thanking them all for being who they were and for helping him. It was like a finale speech."
Unfortunately it was a finale speech, as Steve was killed on Sept. 4, 2006, after being impaled by a stingray barb at Australia's Batt Reef, off the coast of Queensland.
John witnessed the death, as he was filming scenes for the documentary. The producer said he felt uneasy about the trip, too, indicating he had a "premonition" of his own death, which inspired him to write a living will and undergo multiple medical checks before filming.
In the years following Steve's death, his wife, Terri, and children, Bindi and Robert, have often spoke about the beloved zoologist.
"Dad was my hero and the greatest Wildlife Warrior," Bindi told People magazine in 2019. "It's a blessing to continue his work with my amazing family. We hope to make him proud every day. We are celebrating with lots of khaki and animals! Khaki's not just a color, it's an attitude!
The family celebrates Steve every Nov. 15, which has been dubbed Steve Irwin Day.
"Today is #SteveIrwinDay. Thinking a lot about my Dad today and the impact that he made on our planet, inspiring an entire generation. I also think about what a truly amazing dad he was," Robert wrote on Instagram on Monday. "Through a lifetime captured on camera and stories from my family and those who knew him best, I'm able to remember the special times with dad. I still look up to him every day and while I miss him so much, it means the world to me and my family that each year we can have a day for the world to celebrate what he stood for."
Bindi posted a tribute, as well.
"Your legacy will live on forever. I love you for even longer," she wrote. "November 15, Steve Irwin Day."