When Maputa is caught in a fishing net off the coast of the Comoros, neither she nor the fishermen believe she will survive. But rather than meeting the Spirit-fish, the ancient coelacanth finds herself on display as a living fossil at SeaTopia on the Florida coast. There she joins a motley crew of captive sea creatures and the man-tide who both confine and care for them—including Samantha, a neglected teen who finds purpose at the aquarium.

At SeaTopia, the sea creatures and the man-tide both must navigate the complex world of care, captivity, and conservation. When the man-tide destroys the ocean and its inhabitants, are Maputa and her friends better off in the freedom and danger of the wild or the protection and confinement of the aquarium? Or does the Spirit-fish have another plan in mind?

Readers of previous books in The John Morano Eco-Adventure Series will recognize the universal themes and may even spot a familiar character or two! Like A Wing and a Prayer and Makoona, this latest book continues the focus on environmental concerns, friendship, and self-awareness that are key concepts for the series, and can be enjoyed on its own or shared with the family.