Kah-Lan is a young sea otter ready to leave the raft he grew up in. He sets off for adventure in an ocean filled with new sights and sounds and smells - among them humans and the sharp scent of fuel.

The ocean is a dangerous place for an otter on his own, and Kah-Lan must find other otters to raft with if he wants to survive.

Kah-Lan eventually makes new friends, two young male otters named Zid and Gula. After the three friends weather a storm together, they head off in search of new hunting grounds. But the storm brough new dangers, and Kah-Lan and his friends soon find themselves on a mysterious and dangerous jouney. Along the way, Kah-Lan discovers that help can be found in some very surprising places.