Filmed in French Polynesia with a Hawaiian cast, the story revolves around the adventures and romances of a young Polynesian boy as he grows up. As a child he raises and trains a baby shark as a pet, which he shares with his island playmate Diana. After a decade the three are reunited, but the world has changed: Tiko and Diana have become adults; the shark has become a dangerous man-eater; and civilization has encroached on the tropical island.