Steve was incredibly passionate about animals and conservation, and thought that sharing his excitement about the natural world rather than preaching to people was the best way to promote environmental awareness. He was particularly concerned with the conservation of endangered animals and land clearing, which leads to loss of habitat. He considered conservation to be the most important part of his work: "I consider myself a wildlife warrior. My mission is to save the world's endangered species," he once said.
I'm sure Steve Irwin's reaction the the sting ray that accidentally killed him would be to say something like "I'm sorry I scared you, I just wanted everyone to see how awesome you are."