When the Whales Came

The tide carries their favourite wooden boat to a forbidden bay on Bryher. Gracie and Daniel dare the Birdman’s beach and discover the missing boat with a message written in stones left by the hermit.

Daniel and Gracie meet the Birdman, who is kind and profoundly deaf. He recounts his childhood on Samson and the narwhal curse that struck the island and took his hearing.

The Birdman teaches Daniel to carve, and the boy quickly grows skilled. Their secret friendship deepens as Daniel’s talent flourishes under his mentor’s guidance.

Rumors spread about a large driftwood timber washing ashore and being hidden before authorities arrive. In Gracie’s attic, they find the carved seabird the Birdman gave Gracie, proving Daniel’s work is his own.

The First World War begins and Gracie’s father enlists in the Navy, leaving Clem to manage alone. With his absence, Daniel and Gracie take to the sea to help the family survive.

Daniel and Gracie, navigating in thick fog, accidentally land on Samson. They uncover the dry well, the graves of islanders, and a narwhal horn, hinting at a buried history and a lingering curse.

A telegram arrives announcing Gracie’s father has been lost at sea and is presumed dead. Gracie blames the Samson curse, and the islanders gather to comfort Clem and Gracie.

Following a great storm, Daniel, Gracie, and the Birdman discover a beached narwhal and fail to push it back to the sea. The beached creature attracts other narwhals, signaling that the Samson curse may return to Bryher.

Daniel’s older brother and other local boys burn the Birdman’s cottage, thinking he is signaling enemies. The truth about his signals as a protector remains hidden, escalating tension on the island.

Mr Woodcock finally reveals the real history of Samson and the island’s curse. Inspired by the revelation, the islanders work together to move the whales back into the sea, resisting slaughter and restoring balance.

Daniel leaves the Birdman watching the sea, but the next morning finds him gone. He sails to Samson and discovers the well is full again and plants have started to grow, signaling renewal.

A naval boat arrives with Jack found at last and alive. The curse is lifted by the islanders, and Gracie, Jack, and Clem return home to Bryher, celebrating their hard-won peace and growth.