Brothers Harvey and Jim operate a pearl diving barge on an island in the South Seas. Harvey tries it on with a Mary Hale, an opera singer stranded in the area and working in a waterfront dive bar, and is knocked out by her. Shortly afterwards Stavnow robs Harvey of his pearls and kills him when he wakes up and fights back. Mary meets Jim and falls in love, but is guilt-stricken as she believes that she is responsible for his brother's death.