‘Best day of my life’: UK man surprises ‘shark-lover’ girlfriend with an underwater proposal

When the time came, the couple were briefly separated from the rest of the group so Walsh could make the proposal without giving away the surprise.

“They separated us from the rest of the group, and then a man snuck round with the sign,” he said.

Both wearing wetsuits and scuba equipment, Walsh and Cook knelt underwater as he held up the sign asking: “Will you marry me?”

Cook appeared stunned by the surprise, placing a hand over her scuba mask as she took in what was happening. She eventually responded with an “OK” hand gesture, signalling yes, before the couple embraced underwater.

“Congratulations to Paige and James who got engaged in our tank today!” Skegness Aquarium wrote in a social media post, sharing a picture of the newly engaged couple.

For Cook, the proposal came on a day she had already been looking forward to. She said she was “completely in shock” and even forgot she was underwater inside a shark tank.

“This [was] the best day of my life. I’ve always wanted to go scuba diving and swimming with sharks. Then [the proposal] happened and I completely forgot I was in a tank!” said Cook.

Jamie Elvidge of Skegness Aquarium said the experience itself was already packed with excitement, but Walsh’s proposal made it even more memorable.

“It’s an adrenaline-fuelled experience anyway, and then when you add the extra excitement of this you feel like you’re there and part of it,” he said, adding: “It is a really unique way of popping the big question.”