In 1959, Sammy, a Green sea turtle, hatches on a deserted beach and while trying to climb up a sand slope is caught by a seagull. He manages to escape along with another hatchling sea turtle named Shelly who was caught by another seagull. Sammy falls onto an old raft and gets carried into the open ocean, losing Shelly. Later he befriends a leatherback hatchling named Ray. The two friends grow up together.
One day Ray shows Sammy his new found Octopus friend Slim, but they are forced to take shelter from an oil spill, caused by an oil tanker shipwreck. After the raft collapses, Sammy and Ray are caught in trawler nets and separated. Hours later, Sammy is thrown back into the sea, but is revived by a dolphin.