An orphan boy named Kex Bradley attempts to escape his orphanage by boarding a cargo ship only for it to be caught in a thunderstorm and leaving Kex stranded in the ocean on a stray lifeboat. Kex wakes up to find that he has washed ashore on Dinotopia, where he meets 26, Mara, and the other residents of the island. They soon learn that the evil Ogthar has escaped his prison on the island with the use of a powerful artifact and must stop his plans of taking over their home.