Ocean's Deadliest
| Company type | Documentary film |
|---|---|
| Industry | Nature documentary |
| Founded | 2007 |
Key people | Steve Irwin, Philippe Cousteau Jr. |
| Products | Documentary film |
Ocean's Deadliest is a 2007 nature documentary presented by Philippe Cousteau Jr. alongside Steve Irwin. This film stands as the last documentary Irwin worked on before his untimely passing, which took place during the production.
Documentary
Primarily shot aboard Irwin's research vessel, Croc One, the film showcases the capture and examination of numerous lethal marine species such as stonefish, sea snakes, great white sharks, cone snails, blue-ringed octopuses, saltwater crocodiles, and the extremely venomous box jellyfish. Steve Irwin highlighted that one particular specimen, a Stokes' sea snake, was the largest he had ever encountered.
The crew also collected venom samples from stonefish and some sea snake species for scientific investigation.
Broadcast
The documentary debuted in the United States on 21 January 2007 with a simultaneous broadcast on both Animal Planet and Discovery Channel. This was followed by the tribute program Crikey! What an Adventure: An Intimate Look at the Life of Steve Irwin. In Canada, it aired on 22 January; in Australia, it was broadcast on 29 January via the Nine Network; and in the United Kingdom, it premiered on 15 April on ITV1.
Impact of Irwin's death
In a 2014 interview, Irwin's widow, Terri, clarified that no footage from the day he died is included in the documentary, with any such material having been destroyed. Cameraman Justin Lyons acknowledged that while some footage exists, he is against its public release. Following Irwin’s death, Philippe Cousteau Jr. finalized filming several weeks later.
The film contains only a single still photograph of Irwin accompanied by the text "In Memory of Steve" and does not explicitly mention his passing.