The Boca Aquarium went viral for all the wrong reasons—or, should we say, Diamonds by Raymond Lee.
A local mom, Kaurie Raye, reportedly tried to take her children to the aquarium and was shocked when she arrived at the jewelry store. She posted a video on TikTok saying, “I feel bamboozled.” The video has racked up 8 million views.
The Boca Raton jewelry store appears to have a wall of fish tanks and advertises public shark and stingray feedings as well as a touch tank. When Boca magazine reached out to the boutique a few weeks ago for a story, they declined to speak with us. We left a message for them Monday morning for this post.
The internet has responded to the local mom’s TikTok by creating reaction videos as well as commenting on the diamond store’s social media. One commented, “It’s giving Katy Perry saying she’s an astronaut.” Another user wrote, “I have 3 dogs at my house, I identify as a petting zoo. I get it.”
On Instagram, one person commented on a post, “damn y’all are deleting comments that fast.”
Whoever runs the store’s social media also appears to have gone rogue, or is trolling all of us. In a recent post on TikTok, the video is simply a gray screen with the message, “Y’all are snitches.” Another reads, “It’s a scam, the tanks are small & it’s not even a real aquarium. It’s just a fish tank in a jewelry store. The IRS should def check us out. We don’t take care of the fish, horrible conditions, we need to go to jail.” In another post, three AI models dripping in diamonds are accompanied by the caption, “Fake aquarium, real heat.”
Other recent posts on the app are reposts of other TikTokers criticizing the jewelry store for duping the public into thinking it was a bona fide aquarium.
On the Boca Aquarium website, it says in the description, “located right inside Raymond Lee.” Some on social media are claiming that this information was not included previously. In the Google search, it also says “Located inside Raymond Lee.”
“A visit to our aquarium is more than just a day out; it’s an exploration of the vibrant world that thrives beneath the ocean’s surface,” it says on the site. “Perfect for families, students, and marine enthusiasts, our state-of-the-art facility offers a unique blend of educational experiences and breathtaking sights, making it a must-see for locals and tourists alike.”
The aquarium’s first Instagram post was made in March 2023. On Google, it has 4.6 stars from 483 reviews.
On the plus side, the mom has since taken her children to Gumbo Limbo Nature Center and the Cox Science Center & Aquarium, both of which she gave glowing reviews.
