Flipper

Sandy is sent to spend the summer with his Uncle Porter in the seaside town of Coral Key. He is clearly unhappy about the change and remains skeptical about making new friends or enjoying the local scene. The summer begins with him quietly assessing the town and the people around him.

While out on Porter's fishing trawler, a confrontation occurs as Dirk Moran shoots at nearby dolphins. A young dolphin escapes and Sandy befriends it, naming the creature Flipper. The scene establishes the danger and the bond that will drive much of the story.

The next morning, Sheriff Buck Cowan visits Porter's place and explains that Flipper cannot be kept without proper captivity or supervision. He outlines wildlife rules and the consequences of keeping the dolphin illegally. The encounter sets the legal stakes for the dolphin's future.

That night, Kim and Sandy venture in a dinghy to look for Flipper. They fail to locate him but notice barrels being dumped into the ocean from Dirk Moran's boat, hinting at a pollution cover-up. The sight plants the seed for Flipper's poisoning mystery.

The next morning, Porter's pelican Pete leads Kim to Flipper, who is beached and sick. Cathy and others work to nurse the dolphin back to health. The recovery marks Flipper's return to the group and shows his resilience.

Cathy determines that Flipper has been poisoned by toxic waste that is also harming local fishing. The group considers using Flipper's echolocation and a camera mounted on his head to locate the barrels. Their plan connects Flipper's abilities to the hunt for the source of the pollution.

Using echolocation, Flipper helps locate the toxic waste barrels and reunites with his pod, accidentally dropping the camera in the process. Porter rushes back to warn the sheriff about the contamination. The discovery intensifies the effort to stop Moran.

Driven by concern for Flipper, Sandy sets off in a dinghy to search for the dolphin without telling anyone. The risky solo mission exposes him to danger on the open water as he navigates in the wake of Moran's activities. The choice shows his growing courage.

Moran's boat dismantles Sandy's dinghy as he struggles to reach safety. He spots a dorsal fin and assumes it is Flipper, but it is Scar, the rumored great hammerhead shark. The peril escalates as Sandy fights for survival.

As Scar closes in, Flipper appears and nose-buts the shark in the gills. Flipper's pod arrives and drives Scar away at the last moment, rescuing Sandy from the attack. The teamwork highlights Flipper's leadership and loyalty.

The sheriff arrests Dirk Moran for illegally dumping toxic waste and for attempting to kill Sandy when he was complicit in seeing the events that night. Moran's arrest removes the immediate threat to the reef and the town.

The next morning, Sandy's mother and younger sister arrive to pick him up. Flipper appears to bid him farewell as he watches the family leave. The parting scene reinforces the bond between human and dolphin and hints at Flipper's hopeful future.