Bebe took in the sights surrounding him — saltwater, parrotfish, coral reefs and bubbles. Unbeknownst to the parrot, he might’ve been the first of his species to spend time underwater in the Atlantic Ocean.
The white-winged parakeet joins nearly all of his owner’s adventures: skydiving, 500-mile bike rides and skiing. Bebe’s latest activity was exploring underwater in the Bahamas inside a vessel that his owner, Steven Lawyer, built with a plastic food container and a paintball air tank. Lawyer has called the vessel a submarine and named it the “Bebosphere.”
A video of Bebe’s underwater expedition has been viewed more than 4.3 million times on Instagram and appeared on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” where the host joked that calling the vessel a submarine was generous.
While some people have criticized Lawyer for sending his parrot underwater, Lawyer said Bebe, 6, wanted to do it.
Lawyer said Bebe practiced going underwater in the vessel in a sink at home and did not display typical signs of distress, such as burying his head, tightening his wings, trying to flee or — in the case of spotting a predator — chirping.
“He went in willingly and he enjoyed it,” Lawyer, 60, told The Washington Post. “I’m sure he’ll do it again with me. He’d rather do that than, you know, sit back on shore in a cage or back in an Airbnb.”
Lawyer met Bebe in 2020 while he was shopping at a Florida pet store. He was drawn to the playful parrot who stood on Lawyer’s fingers and gripped the front of his son’s hat with his beak. Lawyer bought him and named him Bebe because white-winged parakeets are sometimes called bee bee parrots — but also because, he said, the parrot with green and white feathers was tiny like a baby.
Bebe began following Lawyer almost everywhere. When Lawyer — who in fact is a lawyer — receives cellphone calls, Bebe flies to the phone and steps on or pecks at the screen. It’s a toss-up whether he’ll accept or decline the call.
When Lawyer teaches indoor cycling classes near his home in central Iowa, Bebe sometimes co-instructs from Lawyer’s shoulder with chirps. Bebe tucks himself under Lawyer’s shirt when he’s tired, and at night, he sleeps on Lawyer’s chest.
Bebe flies outside almost every day. When Lawyer loses sight of Bebe, he worries that a hawk will attack the parrot or a passerby will steal him. But Bebe always returns to his shoulder.
In public, Lawyer said, he enjoys watching people’s moods change when they spot Bebe, who will perch on anyone’s shoulder. He has posed for thousands of selfies, Lawyer said.
“He’s my little ambassador of smiles,” he said.
Bebe became well-known in Iowa by riding on Lawyer’s shoulders during roughly 500-mile annual bike rides. The Des Moines Register featured Bebe on its front page last year.
The parrot tightly grips Lawyer’s shirt collar with his foot when Lawyer reaches 40 mph on his bike. Bebe sometimes flies away during the rides, Lawyer said, but then finds Lawyer and comes back. Lawyer said that some cyclists who are unfamiliar with Bebe turn their heads in confusion and ask if the bird on his shoulder is real.
Lawyer, an avid skydiver who studied physics at Iowa State University, also found a way for Bebe to skydive with him after the bird tried to get on the plane with him a few times, he said. Lawyer attached a plastic bubble that’s typically used in cat backpacks to the front of his skydiving suit. Bebe has sat in the bubble, which has holes for ventilation, during more than a dozen of Lawyer’s jumps, he said.
“He’s 2.4 ounces,” Lawyer said, “and he’s got a personality that’s bigger than a lot of people.”
While planning a trip to the Bahamas this year, Lawyer said, he thought Bebe would want to snorkel alongside him. There was one problem: Parrots can’t swim underwater.
So Lawyer attached a paintball air tank to a plastic food container, along with valves that let air to flow in and out. He added a meter that displays oxygen levels and sets off an alarm if they drop.
“If there were any indication that it was stressful to him, he wouldn’t be there,” Lawyer said. “I only take him on activities that we’ve eased our way into and that he is showing an interest in.”
On March 24, Bebe went about three feet underwater in a harbor with calm water for about 15 minutes, Lawyer said, while Lawyer snorkeled alongside him. After sharing the video on Instagram on April 4, Lawyer said he was shocked that it went viral. Some viewers were not pleased.
“The literal exact opposite place bro is meant to be,” one commentator wrote.
“Animal abuse for clicks & views,” another comment said.
But Cher Quinn, Lawyer’s girlfriend, said Bebe’s body language in the vessel was identical to what he displays when leisurely perched on Lawyer’s shoulder. He looked relaxed and curious about his surroundings, Quinn said.
Lawyer said Bebe’s playfulness has rubbed off on him, and he next wants to take the bird along while he paraglides with a motor attached to his back — an activity called power paragliding. He will, he said, ensure that Bebe really wants to go.
White-winged parakeets can live up to two decades, and Lawyer said he hopes the duo will stay active for years to come.
“He’s my buddy,” Lawyer said. “And we do everything together.”
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