“Pet Store Has More Fish” — Mom Blindsided by Jewelry Store That Advertises It’s an Aquarium

A mother documented her disappointment upon visiting what she thought was an aquarium, but turned out to be a jewelry store. Kaurie Raye (@thekaurieraye) was gearing up to take her kids out for a fun day of underwater wonderment. What she happened upon set TikTokers into a tizzy, with rampant speculation that the business was calling itself an aquarium in order to benefit from Florida state aquaculture tax exemptions.

At the beginning of her clip, the TikToker is shown placing her baby in a stroller. Behind her is a diamond reseller, which she says was advertised as a place to admire sea creatures. "POV: this was advertised as an aquarium," a text overlay in Kaurie's video reads.

After securing her child in the stroller, her video then cuts to her approaching the front of the store. Next, she records footage of the building's interior. Indeed, the sign outside offered up an accurate depiction of what was inside.

While glass cases were abundantly on display inside of the retail location, they were filled with jewelry, not salt water. Rings, necklaces, and earrings took the place of sharks, octopuses, and other various aquatic wildlife.

Also, unlike an aquarium, the diamond retailer featured a decorative engine block resting on the floor. Her video then cuts to footage of a child falling asleep in a stroller, intoning how profoundly bored they must be having to stare at decorative pieces instead of oceanic animals.

However, towards the back of the store, a fish tank can be seen in Kaurie's video.

The store in question appears to be Diamonds by Raymond Lee in Boca Raton, Fla.. On Google, the business carries a 4.9 Google Reviews rating, with 1,933 commenters as of this writing.

On the company's website, there doesn't appear to be any immediate indication that it's an aquarium.

"The nation's largest buyer of luxury goods," greets site visitors upon visiting the site, which sports a variety of images of iced-out accessories, including a particularly shiny watch.

Furthermore, its Instagram account has over 119,000 followers, and all of its posts feature photos of its offerings and pictures of people rocking jewelry.

One of the reviewers on Diamonds by Raymond Lee's Google page does reference fish inside the establishment. "Beautiful fish tanks and amazing service from a super friendly staff," they penned.

So, how did Kaurie mistake a jewelry store for an aquarium? Especially when the Diamonds by Raymond Lee website expressly states that it specializes in the bling trade?

Distractify Googled "aquariums in Boca Raton Florida" and the top search result indeed shows a close-up picture of a bioluminescent shark staring at a camera lens. In fact, it even has its own name: Boca Aquarium. And its address states the aquarium is: 2801 N Federal Hwy, Boca Raton, FL 33431.

This just so happens to be the same exact address as the Diamonds by Raymond Lee store. Moreover, the same Google results search page reads that it is "Located in: Diamonds by Raymond Lee."

Not only that, the Boca Aquarium has its own website. "Discover Boca Raton's most enchanting family destination," the site's landing page copy reads.

It goes on to urge folks to "step into an underwater oasis right here at Boca Aquarium, located just inside Diamonds by Raymond Lee in Boca Raton."

The same site indicates that its "perfect for families, students, and marine enthusiasts." Moreover, the site indicates its assortment of fish are showcased in a "state-of-the-art facility" which "offers a unique blend of educational experiences and breathtaking sights."

The Boca Aquarium's exhibits page also sports pictures of different fish and aquatic wildlife where it also boasts about its 2,000 gallon shark tank.

A photo of guests snapping pictures of the sea creatures populates the page. On another page dedicated to blogs, various posts pertaining to vacation ideas along with a guide for fish care are featured.

The 467 Google reviews of the Boca Aquarium average a 4.7-star rating. However, Facebook users were less kind; the aquarium received a 1.4 out of 5 stars. Several users commented that the size of the aquarium was underwhelming.

One may wonder: Why would a jewelry purveyor advertise their establishment as an aquarium? Several TikTokers speculated that the establishment may have been advertising itself as sporting an aquarium for tax break purposes. The state does indeed offer some exemptions under its aquaculture law guidelines.