Michael's holiday on a tiny offshore island in Papua New Guinea, where his uncle owned a copra and cocoa plantation, was like an exciting dream. It was there that he became friends with Natlik, his uncle's house servant who taught him to spear fish, recognise poisonous plants and corals and to light a fire without matches. However, an incredible boating and fishing trip with his uncle suddenly turned into a nightmare when disaster struck. Michael was left floundering in shark-infested waters off the coast of Southern New Ireland. When Michael failed to return home from the fishing trip, Natlik, using his sharp powers of observation and tracking skills is faced with a risky and dangerous trip across sea and through jungle to try and find his young friend.