A Florida mom who was looking for something fun to do with her kids was surprised to find out that Boca Aquarium is actually a jewelry store with a few fish tanks inside. In her viral video about the excursion, the mom said she did her research beforehand, but based on how Boca Aquarium was portrayed online, she expected an actual aquarium.
Though the mom called out the business in a polite way in her video, the jewelry store/aquarium made a video mocking her for thinking that it was a full-blown aquarium.
The mom thought she did her research.
When sharing her experience on TikTok, mom Kaurie Raye seemed to anticipate that some critics might say she clearly didn’t do her research before taking her kids to Boca Aquarium. “Tell me why I thought I was taking my kids to the aquarium when it turned out to just be a jewelry store with a few tanks,” Kaurie noted. “And yes, I did my research.”
During an interview with CBS12, Kaurie, who is mom to sons Carter, 1, and Princeton, 3, said she “was very confused and shocked” when she arrived at Boca Aquarium. “I felt bamboozled!” she told the news outlet. “I was just kind of confused by the advertising. Because I know a lot of people thought I didn’t do my research, but I actually did do a research, maybe not as much as I should have.”
She didn’t bash the aquarium.
@thekaurieraye Definitely not what me or the kids expected but hey, it was something to do💁🏾♀️ #bocaraton #momthings #momof2 #boymoms #palmbeachcounty #thingstodo #explorewithus #travelmom ♬ original sound – Kaurie Raye | Food & Adventure
Though the aquarium wasn’t what she expected, she didn’t hate it – and even said it could be a nice place to take kids who are very young. After all, “it was something to do.” Additionally, staff members were nice to her family and her kids enjoyed seeing “some of the fish and small sharks that they had.”
“I wasn’t mad, just disappointed, because the kids got bored really fast,” she explained in her video. “Online they advertised it like it was a whole aquarium. It’s literally called the Boca Aquarium.”
The mom said she would recommend the free aquarium to parents with kids younger than 2, but she doesn’t think it’s “an actual outing for kids.”
The business responded by mocking her.
@bocaaquarium Peace, love, fish 🦈 #bocaraton #momthings #palmbeachcounty #travelmom #explore #fishtank #aquarium ♬ Boccherini Minuet Trio – Aura Classica
After Kaurie’s video went viral, Boca Aquarium posted a video that appeared to mock the mom for thinking that something called “Boca Aquarium” would be a real aquarium. “So I did my research and I clearly saw it’s inside a jewelry store and the whole thing lasts less than an hour, but who am I to listen to what the internet says, right?” the person in the aquarium’s spoof video said.
Critics flocked to the comments to tell the business that its response video was mean-spirited and “not OK.”
“is ur PR team a bunch of middle schoolers,” one person questioned.
“Oh so don’t visit? Got it,” another commenter wrote.
A third critic pointed out that the mom who made a video about the aquarium was actually “so nice about it” yet the business chose to respond by mocking her.
Others pointed out that calling the business Boca Aquarium and promoting it as such does make it seem like an actual aquarium, so the mom’s confusion makes sense.
“Man the nursing home I work at should call themselves an aviary because they have birds,” a fourth critic joked.
The aquarium’s website says it’s in a jewelry store but also makes it seem like an attraction.
Boca Aquarium has its own website, where it’s described as a “state-of-the-art facility” with “breathtaking sights” that make it “a must-see for locals and tourists alike.”
Even though the website notes that the aquarium is located within Diamonds by Raymond Lee in Boca Raton, it also states that the “aquarium is more than just a day out; it’s an exploration of the vibrant world that thrives beneath the ocean’s surface.”
The website also has a “plan your visit” section, which reads, “Boca Aquarium is open year-round and offers free admission to all. Whether planning a detailed educational visit or a quick escape to a beautiful aquatic world, Boca Aquarium is ready to welcome you. Experience the magic of the underwater world right here in Boca Raton!”
