Ethan Dayne is a disgraced war correspondent trying to make a new start leading an expedition to make a documentary film about organized crime’s involvement in illegal fishing in the protected waters around Komodo national park in Indonesia. Ethan has a falling out with the NGO sponsoring his film over his methods which they consider too risky and he decides to continue the film on his own without their support or funding.

Addie Lee runs a dive guide service in Bali and is hired by Ethan to guide him and his film crew. Trained as a marine biologist, Addie has extensive knowledge of the reefs and islands where they intend to film. Addie charters Varuna, the boat the film crew will live aboard as they travel among the remote islands.

Malik Bashir is the captain and owner of Varuna. He owes a gambling debt to a criminal organization and is forced to use his boat to smuggle drugs for them. He desperately wants to recover the life and family his gambling addiction cost him and is plotting his escape.

Anand Priya is the dangerous and sadistic leader of the criminal organization who owns Malik’s debt. Anand learns Malik’s boat has been chartered by an American film crew and decides it will be the perfect cover to deliver $5 million of heroin to a new customer in Macao.

Raj Farran is the young protégé of Anand tasked to accompany Malik aboard Varuna and ensure the shipment of heroin hidden in its hold is delivered to a freighter traveling across the Savu Sea close to where the film crew will be working. Raj grew up an orphan on the streets of Jakarta and is exposed to whole new world when he meets the film crew and sees for the first time the beauty of the remote islands and pristine reefs.

Fabiola Martinez is the daughter of the movie producer Ethan has to turn to finance his film after his funding is cut off by the NGO. The producer tells Ethan he must hire the young former model and aspiring videographer as an apprentice on the project as a condition of the producer funding the film.