An Underwater Proposal Surrounded by Sharks
Marriage proposals can happen almost anywhere, but James Walsh chose a setting that was both deeply personal and unusually adventurous.
Walsh, from Wendover, Buckinghamshire, proposed to his girlfriend Paige Cook while the couple were taking part in a diving-with-sharks experience at Skegness Aquarium in Lincolnshire, England, on September 10.
The shark-diving experience itself was not the surprise. Walsh had bought it for Cook as a Christmas present because of her fascination with sharks. What she did not know was that he had quietly turned the experience into an engagement plan.
Why James Chose a Shark Tank
Walsh wanted the proposal to take place somewhere that would mean something to Cook rather than simply choosing an unusual location for its shock value.
Speaking to BBC Radio Lincolnshire, he explained that sharks are Cook's favourite animal and said he wanted to propose somewhere “different,” “unique” and “memorable.”
That personal connection became the central idea behind the plan: combine an experience Cook had long wanted to try with a marriage proposal she was not expecting.
Aquarium Staff Helped Keep the Plan Secret
Pulling off an underwater proposal required more preparation than simply hiding an engagement ring.
Walsh contacted Skegness Aquarium in advance and asked staff whether they could help arrange the surprise.
The aquarium already had a proposal sign available. Staff also helped separate Walsh and Cook from the rest of their diving group at the appropriate moment so the proposal could unfold underwater without Cook discovering the plan beforehand.
Wearing wetsuits, masks and scuba equipment, the couple knelt on the sandy bottom of the aquarium tank.
Walsh then revealed the sign asking Cook to marry him.
Paige Answered With an Underwater ‘OK’
Talking underwater meant there could be no conventional spoken “yes.”
Cook initially appeared stunned by what was happening. She then answered by giving Walsh the familiar scuba-diving “OK” hand signal, effectively saying yes underwater.
The newly engaged couple embraced inside the tank.
Cook later described herself as being “completely in shock.”
She also joked about one of the immediate problems created by receiving such a major surprise while breathing through scuba equipment: her first thought was whether she might run out of air from hyperventilating.
‘I Completely Forgot I Was in a Tank’
For Cook, the day had already fulfilled a personal ambition before the engagement even happened.
She told BBC Radio Lincolnshire that she had always wanted to scuba dive and swim with sharks. Once Walsh proposed, however, the surprise briefly overwhelmed even the unusual surroundings.
Cook described it as the “best day of my life” and said the proposal made her temporarily forget she was inside the tank.
The Engagement Ring Was Under His Wetsuit
There was another logistical problem Walsh had to solve: what do you do with an engagement ring while swimming alongside sharks?
Rather than holding the ring openly during the dive, Walsh kept it secured on a chain around his wrist underneath his wetsuit.
He later joked that he had been slightly worried about the possibility of a shark eating the ring.
The arrangement meant the valuable ring remained secured while the actual underwater proposal could be made using the sign.
Aquarium Celebrates the Couple's Engagement
Skegness Aquarium subsequently shared the couple's engagement on social media and congratulated Paige and James on getting engaged in its tank.
Aquarium employee Jamie Elvidge told the BBC that swimming with sharks was already an adrenaline-filled experience and that adding a proposal made the occasion even more exciting.
He described it as a particularly unusual way of asking someone to marry you.
Why the Proposal Stood Out
The setting naturally gave the engagement its attention-grabbing element, but the story was more personal than simply placing a marriage proposal next to sharks.
Walsh chose the aquarium specifically because Cook loves sharks, while the dive was an experience she had wanted to have.
The aquarium staff then helped transform an existing shark-diving experience into a carefully timed surprise.
That combination — a personal interest, an unexpected proposal and an unusual underwater setting — is what helped photographs and footage of the engagement attract wider media attention after the September 10 event.
Primary reporting: BBC Radio Lincolnshire interviews with James Walsh, Paige Cook and Skegness Aquarium's Jamie Elvidge, as subsequently reported by multiple outlets.
Additional verification: People and India Today, September 2026.
