On a small coral cay on the Great Barrier Reef off Australia's east coast, two communities come together in an uneasy alliance: a tourist resort and a scientific research station.

At first glance, the island is a sexy resort, a naturalist's dream, a diver's delight. But the island holds secrets and dangers as Jennifer Towse soon discovers. When world-famous marine biologist Isobel Belitas arrives, Jennifer learns to see the world - above and below the sea - very differently. Isobel teaches her to come to terms with her obsessive mother, as well as her disintegrating marriage. But no-one, not even investigative journalist Tony Adams, could have prepared Jennifer for the stunning revelations of what is really happening in this island paradise. . . .