When a fierce storm strikes Malio Island, the islanders ask for a miracle. What they receive instead is an ornate canoe complete with a little boy. At first the boy, named Tama, is thought to be a gift from the gods and taken in by the Malio chief to be raised as his own son. However, when gossip spreads that Tama is to blame for all the island's misfortunes, the chief denounces him. The boy is passed between families on the island until he ends up in the poorest house, that belonging to Mahana and her father. Like Tama, Mahana is an outcast and the two form a strong bond. When Tama finally has the means to escape the island, he vows that he will someday return for Mahana. That promise is where his adventure begin...