Twelve-year-old Daniel MacRae is spending the summer in the coastal town of Bay Haven with a father he barely knows. The threat of an approaching hurricane on the day of his arrival is the first sign his help is needed at Hi-Tide Cabins, the quaint waterfront property owned by his family for generations. While his father spends much of his time entangled in legal battles, Daniel, along with a no-nonsense handywoman and her outspoken daughter, keeps the cabins operating through the peak tourist season.

But when Daniel makes an odd discovery along a stretch of private beach, he learns that things are not always as they appear. Just beyond the "No Trespassing" sign are piles of trash and marine debris, most of it made from indestructible plastic. Unable to ignore it, he begins a one-person clean up effort which leads to an improbable friendship and the discovery of a new talent; upcycling trash into art.

Nervous about people's reaction to his newfound passion, Daniel is determined to keep his trash-to-treasure artwork a secret. But when he comes face-to-face with the ugly truths of beach pollution and impending harm for the town of Bay Haven, he takes a risk. In the end, Daniel learns that some secrets aren't meant to be kept.