Sixteen-year-old Arthur is looking for adventure. So he stows away on a whaling ship bound for the South Pacific. But he gets more excitement than he could ever have imagined when, soon after setting sail, the crew rebel against their captain and murder everyone who will not join them. As the leaderless ship sails deep into high southern latitudes, the ravenous sailors begin to regret their treachery. Storms overwhelm the decks, and the nightmare vision of a corpse-ridden ghost ship taunts them as they starve. It seems they are being punished for their sins.