Bindi Irwin Marks 18th Birthday With Tribute to Late Father Steve Irwin

By RICKI HARRIS

Happy 18th birthday, Bindi Irwin!

The daughter of the late Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin shared an adorable baby photo on Instagram on Sunday and paired it with a touching caption paying tribute to her father, Steve Irwin.

"Our Dad, Mum's soulmate and a superhero for us all, passed away," she wrote. "However, since this photo was taken, 18 years ago, one life ingredient has remained, unchanged, unbreakable. That is the unconditional love that is shared between my beautiful little family and the loyalty we have to each other and everyone else who has taken this journey with us."

Irwin added that she is "endlessly grateful" for her parents and the love that surrounds her.

Irwin was 8 when 10 years ago her father was killed by a stingray.

Hello lovelies. Well today marks 18 years of life for me, here in Australia and I really don't know where to begin in thanking so many people for an unforgettable journey so far. So I think that I'll start here, with this photograph. This photo was taken within the first year of my life. To be perfectly honest life has changed in a million ways since this photograph was taken. Along the way we gained another incredible part of our family, my brother Robert. Our conservation work with Wildlife Warriors took off around the world. Our home, Australia Zoo continued to expand and has become the greatest zoological facility on planet earth. Our Dad, Mum's soulmate and a superhero for us all, passed away. However, since this photo was taken, 18 years ago, one life ingredient has remained, unchanged, unbreakable. That is the unconditional love that is shared between my beautiful little family and the loyalty we have to eachother and everyone else who has taken this journey with us. I don't think that when this photo was taken even my beautiful parents could have known what life would evolve. I know that I am endlessly grateful for the love and light I have been given since Day 1 of my life.

A photo posted by Bindi Irwin (@bindisueirwin) on Jul 23, 2016 at 2:25pm PDT

She followed up with a second post of a more recent picture and a note about her future as an adult.

"Being 18 and embarking upon my adult years, I can't predict what life will have in store for me. All I know is that I will try my very best to make a difference in this world with each moment that I'm given," she wrote.

....leading on from my last post, I have so much happiness in my heart for the journey to come. Being 18 and embarking upon my adult years, I can't predict what life will have in store for me. All I know is that I will try my very best to make a difference in this world with each moment that I'm given. Life is constantly evolving and I'm determined to find the light and love around every corner and share this with everyone who is a part of my story. Thank you so much to every single soul who took the time to read these last two posts, it means so much. I can't wait to see what is yet to come.

A photo posted by Bindi Irwin (@bindisueirwin) on Jul 23, 2016 at 2:26pm PDT

Just a few days earlier, Irwin posted a similar throwback photo in honor of her mother's birthday.

Happy Birthday to the strongest and most beautiful woman I know. Thank you for being my mother. You inspire me every day. I love you.

A photo posted by Bindi Irwin (@bindisueirwin) on Jul 19, 2016 at 7:04pm PDT