Elsa Roth and her best friend, Olivia, are excited to tag along with Elsa's mother on a month-long expedition to study the diet of orca whales in the San Juan Islands. But when a young orca is found separated from his pod, things take an unexpected turn. They're soon caught up in a battle for August, the young orca.

A less-reputable aquarium wants him for their facility, while the San Juan Marine Mammal Sanctuary, where Elsa and Olivia are staying, is focused on the whale's rehab and release-something that's never been successfully done before. It's up to Elsa and the rest of the sanctuary staff to keep August safe and teach him how to survive on his own-the whale's survival depends on it.