A white-winged parakeet named Bebe has captured the internet's attention after footage of his underwater expedition in the Bahamas amassed more than four million views on Instagram.
The six-year-old bird descended beneath the waves inside a bespoke miniature submarine, crafted specifically for the voyage by his owner Steven Lawyer.
Speaking to GB News, Mr Lawyer explained the motivation behind constructing the unusual craft.
He said: "He goes everywhere with me and my girlfriend, and so we were taking a longer and extended trip to the Bahamas, we were going to be there for a month, and we just didn't want to be apart from him for that long, and we knew he wouldn't want to be apart from us for that long."
Mr Lawyer added that Bebe "actually gets distressed" if he has to go to a "Bebe sitter, as I call them", for extended periods of time.
Dubbed the "Bebesphere," the compact vessel carried the adventurous parakeet approximately three feet below the surface whilst Mr Lawyer snorkelled alongside.
"He likes to do everything with us, which led to the construction," Mr Lawyer explained, noting the viral success was "totally unexpected" given the account had just 38 followers beforehand.
The Bebesphere was fashioned from a plastic food container fitted with a paintball air tank, along with valves permitting air circulation throughout the chamber.
Owner of Bebe the parrot Steven Lawyer has detailed the creation of a mini submarine for his pet after going viral
|GB NEWS / INSTAGRAM / BEBEBIRDPARROT
Showing his creation to Britain's Newsroom hosts Andrew Pierce and Dawn Neesom, Mr Lawyer explained how he incorporated an oxygen level gauge that would sound an alarm should readings fall dangerously low.
Prior to the Bahamas excursion, the contraption underwent extensive testing in a sink at the Lawyer household, where Bebe displayed no indicators of anxiety whilst submerged.
The parakeet's 15-minute underwater journey took place in tranquil harbour waters on March 24, before being posted on Instagram on April 4, where the footage quickly went viral and was seen and shared by millions.
He told GB News: "Going viral was totally unexpected, by the way.
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The video of Bebe has racked up over four million views on Instagram
|INSTAGRAM / BEBEBIRDPARROT
"I think he had like 38 followers, which are just friends that know him very well and love to see his little adventures. So I stuck the video up so that they could see it."
The submarine voyage represents just one of Bebe's many daring exploits alongside his owner.
Mr Lawyer told GB News the parakeet has completed around 15 skydives, travelling in a ventilated plastic bubble attached to the front of his owner's suit.
"It's hard for me to go get on the airplane for a skydive without him insisting on coming along for those as well," he said.
Mr Lawyer told GB News that Bebe has also skydived with him '15 times'
|GB NEWS
The pair have also undertaken skiing trips and week-long cycling journeys together, with Mr Lawyer hoping to introduce Bebe to powered paragliding next.
Mr Lawyer purchased the parakeet from a Florida pet shop in 2020, drawn to his playful demeanour.
At home, Bebe sleeps on his owner's chest and has been known to attempt answering his mobile phone.
The bird has become a local celebrity in Iowa, posing for thousands of selfies with admirers.