This beluga whale saw a surprise proposal—and her reaction completely stole the moment

Beluga whale stuns the internet with her reaction to a surprise aquarium proposal

When Olivia Walsh posed with her boyfriend Gavin Hulberg at the Georgia Aquarium’s beluga exhibit, she didn’t realize she was about to be part of a viral moment that would melt hearts around the world. Gavin had teamed up with the aquarium staff to plan a thoughtful surprise proposal, but neither he nor Olivia expected their love story would get upstaged—by a whale.

As Gavin dropped to one knee, Qinu, a 16-year-old beluga whale, floated into frame. Just as the ring came out, Qinu’s jaw dramatically dropped in what looked like sheer surprise. The timing was so perfect it seemed scripted. But it wasn’t. Olivia posted the video to TikTok with the caption, “The most perfect proposal I could’ve asked for,” and the internet went wild—racking up over 7 million views.

"Even the beluga was shocked 😭."

The internet falls in love with Qinu

The viral video unleashed a flurry of fan reactions online. Commenters immediately projected their own emotions onto Qinu’s expressive face, and her reaction became meme-worthy gold.

• “The beluga NEEDS to officiate the wedding now,” joked u/isa.
• Play-Doh’s official account said, “Beluga has to be invited to the wedding.”
• u/Els imagined the whale screaming: “The beluga was like: 'OH MY GAWWDDD.’”
• u/Citali summed it up with: “The beluga: .O.”

"The beluga was like: 'OH MY GAWWDDD.'"

— u/Els

She works with whales—so this meant everything

Olivia wasn’t just a random visitor. She’s been an intern with the beluga whale training team at the aquarium for the past three months. That added personal layer made Gavin’s gesture especially touching.

In a TikTok reply, she shared, “My fiancé is the most thoughtful person!! He knows how much I’ve loved working with the whales & truly made it the most special moment.”

According to People, where the story was first reported, Qinu’s show-stopping reaction wasn’t planned or trained. Katie Lorenz, associate curator of mammals and birds at the Georgia Aquarium, confirmed, “Qinu’s behavior at the window was her own—she was not intentionally trained to have any type of ‘reaction.’”

"Beluga has to be invited to the wedding."

— @playdoh

Whales, weddings and ethical questions

While most viewers were captivated by the magic of the moment, some expressed concern over the ethics of keeping animals like Qinu in captivity.

• “So wrong to keep a magnificent animal like that in a tank… shame!!!” wrote @alinasaballos.
• @naturaleclectic added, “Nothing cute or adorable about these sentient creatures being kept confined in glass houses for human amusement.”

But plenty of others simply found the video heartwarming:

• “Aww adorable,” commented @chanbien645.
• “Cute 😍,” added @101304dod.

From aquarium intern to viral queen

Since the video blew up, Qinu’s fame has drawn renewed interest to the Georgia Aquarium. Fans are even checking out the live beluga cam and behind-the-scenes footage on the aquarium’s socials to catch more of Qinu’s charming personality.

And while Olivia and Gavin start planning their wedding, don’t be surprised if Qinu somehow makes the guest list. Maybe she won’t officiate—but she’s definitely got a front-row seat in our hearts.

Want more beluga magic?

If you can’t get enough of beluga content, TikTok’s got you covered. From majestic swim shots to hilarious closeups, these creatures know how to perform for the camera.