In 1938, on the shore of a remote Welsh island, the body of a dead whale is discovered. For Manod, a young girl who lives there with her father and sister, the event symbolizes both a possible threat and unknown worlds beyond their familiar territory.
Two English ethnographers arrive on the island, eager to study local customs. As their stay continues, Manod becomes increasingly drawn to them and develops a strong desire to explore places she has never been.
Will Manod be able to resist the temptation to leave her home island and her community—which has been everything to her?