Irwin’s fate shrouds his final TV special

Steve Irwin displays his boyish, breathless zest. His nerve and know-how in the company of wild animals. And, most importantly, his love and respect for them.

It’s a winning formula, which helps explain Irwin’s reign as “the Crocodile Hunter,” the world’s favorite animal expert and conservationist. And it’s there in full measure on “Ocean’s Deadliest,” a 90-minute documentary to be simulcast at 8 p.m. Sunday on Discovery Channel and Animal Planet.

The show’s tragic subtext – that Irwin died during filming last fall – is, of course, unseen, and essentially unaddressed, which is as it should be.

At 9:30 p.m., a half-hour tribute features Irwin’s wife, Terri Irwin, and family and friends, as well as never-before-seen footage of Irwin in his wildlife element.

Even so, during “Ocean’s Deadliest,” his fatal sting from a stingray’s barb is never far from the viewer’s mind. (You will doubtless shudder when Irwin, standing in the water with a six-foot-long poisonous sea snake, dodges the creature’s hair-trigger strike, then gamely observes, “Lucky he didn’t have his mouth open there, or Stev-o could’ve taken a bit of a hit.”)

Irwin is joined in his native Australia by oceanographer and adventurer Philippe Cousteau (grandson of the famous oceanographer Jacques Cousteau) as they explore the waters between the Gold Coast and the Great Barrier Reef. Cousteau narrates the program.

Together they locate – and introduce viewers to – venomous fish, great white sharks and enormous saltwater crocodiles, each of which is billed as the deadliest this or that.

But, bottom line: You wouldn’t want to mix it up with any of them. Which makes you feel glad (and amazed) that someone like Irwin loved giving these fascinating creatures the close-up they deserve.

Just hear Irwin, speaking of that sea snake, when he says, “We are so lucky, we are so honored” to be in its presence.

Watching “Ocean’s Deadliest,” viewers will likely feel, one more time, the same thing about Irwin.