Veteran campaigner Dr Barbara Rafferty's obsessive crusade to save the albatross on the Pacific atoll of Saint-Esprit suddenly gains international support when millions of TV viewers witness the shooting of her young acolyte Neil Dempsey on a foolhardy rescue mission. Soon Dr Barbara turns the deserted island into a sanctuary - a remote paradise home for Neil, an odd team of eco-enthusiasts and idealists and a growing collection of the world's endangered species. In time they will discover that some species are in more danger than others.