MEG: Primal Waters | |
Author | Steve Alten |
Publication date | 2004 |
Publication Order | |
Preceded by The Trench |
Followed by MEG: Hell's Aquarium |
MEG: Primal Waters is a 2004 science fiction novel by author Steve Alten. The book continues the adventure of Jonas Taylor, a paleontologist studying the Megalodon.
Plot summary[]
18,000 years ago in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean, a Rhinocodon typus shark feasts around the area, with the creature being unaware that a female Megalodon lurks near. The Ice Age had allowed the creature to rise above the thermocline due to massive eustasis—a process that freezes titanic volumes of water. The female prepares to kill the whale shark, only to be drawn away by a smaller and swifter male Meg, who pounces on the whale shark and viciously devours it. The female cautiously stays at a distance but departs after hours pass, as the male refuses to abandon its dying prey as well as its carcasses feasted by other sea creatures. The dying female travels towards the east for three days, where it comes across a tropical island atoll.
The dying female navigates the coral islands and feasts on native sea creatures before locking onto Hydrodamalis gigas and killing it. The Meg tries to crawl onto the surface after trying to have parts of the upper torso float towards the shore, only to thrash around in a panicked state because of its uninhabitable nature. As dusk sets, the male Meg glides silently and closes on the stranded female.
The female lays dying as it struggles to survive the new habitat and intakes fresh seawater as it seeps into her swollen uterus, further acclimating them to their future environment. It tries to escape from the looming male Meg, unaware that downstream, another hunter awaits. Nearby, a group of Micronesian natives gather around the Meg as they viewed the shark not as a source of food but their ancient Shark God who they worship and pray for good fortune and harvest. The villagers attempt to capture the Meg, only for the creature to thrash around and kill 3 tribal elders before escaping to the lagoon.
As the adolescent male Meg approaches the female with caution, the latter snaps on its attacker before darting out to open waters where it can give birth. It gives birth to the first young male pup along the road, which is consumed by the male pursuer. The pregnant monster gives birth to seven additional pups, who follow their mother to defend themselves from the advancing Meg. The female, exhausted from effort, scans for prey, unknowing that the male stalks its prey from the shadows. As the adolescent male closes in from behind, the weary female leads her seven pups into the deep water. The Megs reach far beneath the sea, although another pup is mangled by the male's jaws. As the remaining pups dart to the darkest depths of the ocean and are introduced to the new and unusual surroundings, the female and male battle each other. The puppies would survive in this refuge of existence until the vents run dry and the prey disperse, sending a few surviving creatures back to the surface from which they came.
18 years after Angel's escape from Tanaka Institute, Jonas Taylor and his wife Terry Tanaka-Taylor have settled in Tampa Bay, Florida after Jonas is forced to sell his old home in California. The pair has two children named David Taylor and Danielle Kaye Taylor, the latter being the oldest of the pair. Jonas deals with overwhelmed past bills and slowly becomes disillusioned of his prime life as a famed paleobiologist and submersible pilot. Terry suggests Jonas of writing his own memoir as a new source of income by exploiting his years of fame but struggles to finish due to internal and external influences. In addition, Jonas deals with his rebellious teenage daughter, whom he has a strained relationship with but is the opposite of David, who has taken an interest in his father's past study and career.
In the years after Angel's escape, Tanaka's Oceanographic Institute returned to Masao Tanaka's ownership after Benedict Singer's death in the Mariana Trench. Three years after the creature's escape, the institute now operates for the advancement of cetacean science, but fails to attract whales due to Angel's scent still lingering in her former captivity tank. Masao accepts a huge loan from Jonas to drain and scrub the tank but fails. Now deep in debt, Masao had leased the facility to Sea World in which orcas that were born in captivity had been transported to the facility. Upon entering the tank, the orcas panicked and bashed against the canal doors in an attempt to break free, resulting in two orcas killed, as well as the termination of the Sea World's contract. In the following years, Jonas now works in public relations at a marine park while Masao hires James Mackreides, Jonas' best friend, to maintain the facility while he attempts to sell the institute but is met with great difficulty.
Presently, Masao meets Drew and Devin Diestch about the development of turning the institute into a resort and a shopping marina that is met with financial difficulty and with the potential of lawsuits filing in.
At the depths of the Mariana Trench, Angel becomes the dominant apex predator, with two of its pups successfully escaping from her. Angel's distant memories return, and it follows the Kuroshio Current and travels to the North Pacific current. Angel returns back to the familar waters off California, unknowingly leaving a pheromone trail that spans half an ocean and attracts other male Megalodons. A large male Meg follows the scented trail, where it is taken east of the coastal waters of British Columbia.
At the Venice Beach Shark Tooth Festival which takes place in Venice Beach, Florida, Jonas and his family meets fossil tooth hunters Vito Bertucci, Pat McCarthy, Sue Pendergraft, Jim Pendergraft and JoAnne Favre, with Jonas due to presenting his speech. Before her father's speech, Danielle splits off from the family and encounters and meets the Daredevils's crew Wayne John Fergurson and stunt pilot Jennie Arnos with the latter convincing her to join them in an airstrip. In Jonas's booth, he meets Erik Hollander, who is the producer of a top-rated reality TV show, the Daredevils, and the collector of a white Megalodon tooth belonging to the male that had killed D. J. Tanaka years prior. Erik informs Jonas of his crew looking up to him as an idol because of his actions in killing Angel's mother, and offers to hire him as a consultant for the upcoming season of DAREDEVILS, which takes place in the South Pacific. Terry fiercely objects to the offer due to the death of Diana Hoag who was accidentally killed during the show's filming as well as accuses the show of desensitising viewers and youths to dangerous activities and influence them to participate which threatens their lives. As their conversation drowns out by the sound of the airstrip, Erik invites Jonas and Terry to view the promotional reel of DAREDEVILS: Season II in an effort to convince them.
In the airstrip, Danielle is seated on the Cessna alongside Wayne and Jennie with the former parachutes out of the plane. Wayne struggles to open his chute as he quickly descends, remembering back to how his fianceé Diana perished similarly, though the moment jerks him as the chute successfully open up, safely landing him and surrounded by onrushing crowds. After witnessing the stunt, Jonas considers accepting Erik's offer but Terry is still hesitant due to her not trusting him. Erik gifts the tooth to Jonas in exchange for their participation in dinner with him in open-mind states. In addition, Erik asks for Mackreides’ participation because of the public's view of both as a team before departing. Terry and Jonas briefly argue until they reach a compromise in which they are willing to hear Erik tonight before making a decision. Danielle reunites with her parents and they are willing to stay at the resort near the beach.
At Monterey Bay, California, Angel makes her way to the canyon and surveys the area. In the same area, Patricia Pedrazzoli and Kenneth Hoefer await the arrival of Mackreides, with the latter showing disdain for Mackreides. Admist their conversation, Kenneth spots the Angel-II vessel drifting at the sea, with Patricia expressing concern for his safety, and swims out to the location, unknowingly attracting Angel. Patricia boards the vessel, but unbeknownst to her, Angel pounces on an outboard motor. On the Angel-II, Patricia discovers an intoxicated Mackreides alongisde a surfer named Tameka Miller, which enrages and prompts her to leave the vessel and return inland. Detecting that the object is not edible, Angel moves deeper into the water, but continues to loom around the vessel.
At the institute, Masao tries to filter the drainage system in order to clear the algae from the tank for a preliminary check, put on the diving gear, and enter the tank. Inside the tank, Masao discovered that one of the sea turtle's claws was caught in the drain, but is still paranoid of Angel's presence, which sends his heartbeat across the waters and is detected by Angel, which ignores Patricia and follows the rhythmic sound. Angel brushes past Masao, who is shocked to see her return, and notices the drums signifying for her feeding time with its presence soon taken notice by worker Athena Holman. Angel's appearance sends Masao into a heart attack and getting himself killed, as it escapes back to the Monterey Submarine Canyon after feasting on a rancid turtle.
In the hotel, Jonas and Terry depart, with Danielle soon sneaking outside the hotel, though her escape is noticed by David, who is bribed with silence. She heads to the beach and encounters the crew of DAREDEVILS and overhears Wayne and Adam Potter sharing their past story of their attempt to save a man named Christopher Laubin from a great white attack but fails as it rips his body in half and Wayne's near death experience. Shortly after, an argument sparkes between Wayne and Michael Coffey with the former believed that the shark had tasted human flesh and should be killed immediately, while the latter held the belief of the shark mistook humans as another creature and became aroused due to blood spilled in the area and believed that they should not be killed because of their intelligence and endangerment status. The argument reaches its boiling point as Wayne and Michael fight until they are pulled away by other crew members. Wayne leaves and Danielle follows suit, he explains the reason he tries these stunts is to seek the thrill of living after unable to handle the mundaneness and slow deterioration to death. Danielle confides in her life to which he encourages to take control and take risks and to live. The pair intimately spent the night on the beach.
By midnight, Jonas and Terry return to their room and discuss his decision of joining the DAREDEVILS crew with Terry unwilling to be emotionally left to hold the family together as she had seen the effects that it had on her family and wishes Jonas to not miss out on their children's growth but Jonas retorts that they had to solve financial difficulties and treats the job as a one-time opportunity. Jonas points out that Terry's experience on the Benthos has left her overprotective while she calls out Jonas of his inability to reject calls for an adventure and chance to prove that he is still in his prime. After the heated argument, the pair is informed of Masao's death.
In Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Matt Winegar - the captain of the boat ride alongside passengers Mark Allen, Heath Shelby and Rachael Shelby and first mate Michael Rybel are fishing in the area with the halibut captured by the millionaire Heath, unbeknownst to them that it is being hunted by a male Meg. The fish is captured, though Heath and the crew experience trouble of claiming the halibut but the line is snagged by the male Meg which sends fishing equipment, Heath and Michael overboard. Michael manages to board the vessel though Heath is ensnared by the fishing line and dragged deep into sea by the Meg. The fishing line snaps and Heath frees itself from its bondage, though the Meg circles back for its prey and consumes Heath as he is mangled and devoured by the Meg.
In Big Sur Valley, California, Jonas and Terry attend Masao's funeral, as she is reminiscent of her childhood with her family. During the procession, Jonas meets Patricia who both discuss the situation relating to Mackreides and his underlying psychological problems and asks him in helping Mackreides, though Jonas is reluctant to help, until he is warned by Patricia that if he fails to help him, he will be in a casket. By night, Jonas visits Mackreides on the Angel-II and the latter confronts Jonas about him turning against Mackreides during a tough time. Mac reveals that he was offered the same deal several weeks before but rejects it and points out that Jonas only accepts the offer because he misses the action. After their heated debate, two police officers approach the vessel with Mac surprised at his betrayal, and Jonas tackles him and subdues him in a tight headlock, not wanting to lose his friend further.
Shortly afterwards, Danielle overhears Jonas and Terry argue about his decision of accepting Erik's offer, with the Terry ordering him to bring Danielle along as chaperone to the filming set of DAREDEVILS as a way to spend their quality time together and mend their strained relationship, with Jonas relenting to his wife's request.
In Loloata Island, Papua New Guinea, Michael Maren meets with the co-producer of DAREDEVILS James Gelet and is informed of Jonas's participation and Mackreides's absence, which irritates him. Gelet reveals that the public has no interest in the pair with Maren intending to use the show to expose Jonas as a con artist to the world as part of his revenge for the events 18 years prior, which saw his fiancee Celeste Singer being killed by Angel.
Back in Vancouver Island, a local marine biologist Cory LaBranche has documented more than 80 whale strandings on the island's Pacific coastline, and is baffled by the scope of the event as the phenomenon affects various species, with some volunteers helping push the whales back to deeper water. At night, the male Meg resurfaces, and resumes its hunting and feeding.
In Port Darwin, Northern Australia, Jonas and Danielle arrive and board the 17th century reconstructed Spanish Galleon named Neptune with Danielle hired to be one of the "Candy Girls" by Erik. The pair is introduced to the layout of the old pirate ship and Jonas and Danielle meet his old acquaintance Andrew Fox, the son of Rodney Fox who survives one of the most vicious Great White attacks to be documented. Elsewhere in Monterey, California, Terry and David arrive at the law office of Kelsey Lynn Cretcher where they meet Charlene Holman - Athena's grandmother, and discuss about the selling of the Tanaka Lagoon and the debts that were left to them. David initially objects to selling the institution out of Masao's love for the lagoon but relents after being pressured by Terry in order to pay off the debts. Presented with the options of renegotiating with the Dietsch Brothers or filing for bankruptcy, Terry chooses the former.
In Vancouver, marine biologist Joshua Bunkofske arrives at East Sooke Regional Park, where whale rescues have been halted as multiple whales have been reported to have washed ashore, dead. Joshua meets Steve Sutera, commander of the West Coast Marine Detachment. He is informed that whales rush back to the shore despite being escorted to the sea, and suspects that another Megalodon is responsible for the killings after witnessing one of the carcasses with huge bite marks. Sutera determines that the matter is to be covered by the public to avoid bad press and panic, and orders Joshua to figure out a way to chase the Meg from the waters or kill the creature.
Meanwhile, the Neptune sails through the Arafura Sea and arrives near Papua New Guinea, and the pair is informed that the Coelacanth is strictly limited to other personnel. In addition, Jonas learns that these types of ships usually travel by the Marianas and is told the story of Nuestra Señora de la Concepcion which travels near the Mariana Trench. At the Tanaka Oceanographic Institute, David offers to clean the filtration system but is fiercely opposed by his mother, who tells him to look for another solution. Terry looks back on her memories on the Benthos, which had left an emotional scar on her psyche and the years since then, which had left her to be overprotective towards her family. Shortly after, Terry receives a call from Joshua who informs her of Angel's return in Vancouver Island and the whale strandings that had occurred around the area and asks her to accompany them. Terry agrees to go after being presented with evidence from Joshua and for a fee of 22,000 dollars.
On the Neptune, Jonas wakes up to find that the shooting of Daredevils is about to commence and meets the director of the show Susan Ferraris, his fellow commentator Charlotte Lockhart and other crew members. The show begins with two teams consisting of five people, each of whom coordinates a live death-defying stunt and places one team member in jeopardy. The audience will vote for the winning stunt, leaving the other team to eliminate one member from their squad. The third week will combine the two teams and continue the elimination process until a winner is found. The team of Hammerheads consists of Coffey, Evan Stewart, Jason Massett, Dee Hatcher and Mia Durante with the other being The Makos which comprises of Wayne, Jennie, Barry Struhl, Lexy Pitaek and John Shinto. Amidst the shooting, Danielle notices a waterspout two miles from the vessel, with Jonas urging her to wear a life preserver. The latter team sky dives into the ocean as part of their entrance with Shinto descending and landing near the waterspout, while the others parachute soon after.
Back in California, Terry leaves David to go to Canada to investigate the claims with the latter known that his parents had sent Mackreides into an alcohol rehab center. Elsewhere, wildlife photographer Brian Hodges witness a humpback whale being brutually devoured by Angel which frightens Brian as he tries to return to shore. Before he leaves, he tries to get a photograph of the Meg before the dying humpback reaches his kayak in a desperate attempt to get away. The kayak is destroyed by Angel and Brian is flinged into the waters and climbs onto the carcass of the dead humpback. Angel feeds on the carcass and takes notice of Brian's presence with the carcass combusting in a deadly explosion, sending Brian to the dark depths again. Nearby, a motor boat driven by David Emanuel and Jean Fisher investigates the remnants of the whale before departing for north of San Francisco Bay, unaware that Angel had already gotten hold of Brian and swallowed his remains.
After the Makos stunt, the team members of the Hammerheads were rescued from the sea. The interview shooting of each contestants begins as Jonas recounts his tale of killing Angel's mother and his trip to the Mariana 4 years later to the contestants with his story allows Danielle to see her father on a different light.
Back at the Institute, David decides to dive into the tank after he is unable to fix the circuit board in the control room. He descends into the tank to discover that clusters of coral have formed along the base of algae-infested walls, providing a habitat for many brightly colored fish. David swims to the canal doors where he tinkers and successfully chips away the junction box which is plagued with corals that allows the doors to open and seal themselves shut. David closes the canal doors when he discovers Angel to have swam inside the tank which sends a panicking David to ascend to the surface and return to the institute.
In Vancouver, Terry meets Joshua and they depart for East Sooke where they meet Sutera who informs Terry of the situation that each whale was killed every third night while the Meg patrols throughout the strait, driving the other whales to shore. Terry asks to examine the carcass in search of any teeth left behind to verify the creature to which she discovers a tooth laid deep in its ribs, and presents her findings to Joshua and Sutera. She presents them with a portable training device that was used to send out low-frequency vibrations and summoned Angel, and the option of capturing her back to the Tanaka Institute.
The next morning, Jonas meets Erik, who requires the footage of his supervision of the next challenge, which involves drawing sharks to the area before sending team members below. Jonas descends to contestant quarters and meets Mia, who explains to him the reason that she becomes a daredevil is because she lost all fear of living. Shortly after, Jonas meets Danielle, who expresses her desire to travel and live her life to the fullest without being stuck in a corporate job, compares it to his life before being tied down with family, and takes notice of him being happy here for the first time in years. On the deck, he meets Andrew, who prepares to take photographs of sharks that were attracted to the area with the use of cow blood and fish innards and the carcass of a whale that infuriates Jonas.
Meanwhile, Aboard the Coelacanth vessel, Maren, and his assistant Allison Petrucci observe the crews of Neptune and Jonas. Maren, who had tagged and tracked the creature, anticipated that it would ascend to feed at night and chose not to inform Erik of upcoming events. In Neptune, Erik does not disclose the whale's cause of death and threatens to cut off his pay before resuming shooting. After the opening stunt, the Hammerhead votes Jason, who decides to depart from the ship as part of today's team stunt, which is swimming to the Coelacanth through shark-infested waters. Jason dives into the water only to be ensnared by the Tiger Shark which attacks him, Jennie and Shinto manage to save and pull him out of the water. Teams of medics and cameramen swarm around his injured body to stem the bleeding only for Jason to be bled to death.
After David's dive, he is taken to the community hospital as a result of decompression sickness due to his fast ascension, which affects his organs due to loss of nitrogen. Patricia is informed of David's ailment by a physician named Trey Harris and confronts him about the matter to which David asks for Mackreides in helping only to be denied by Patricia who insists that he rests.
In Vancouver, Terry reawakens inside Joshua's office in Barkley Sound, a marine habitat that runs through the coastline of Vancouver Island after there is no available room in the station. Joshua informs his plan to bait the Meg with enough anesthetic to drug and haul it back to the harbor before loading it into a trailer for transportation. Joshua reveals that he wants to work as a supervisor at the institute to observe the creature and make money from it, which is met with the disgust of Terry, who threatens to leave. In an attempt to convince her otherwise, Joshua shows her the Cape Calvert with him planning to lure it in the morning due its sensitivity to light, Terry relents but not before asking for a weapon that can stop a tank as insurance in case things derailed.
Back at the hospital, David visits Athena who remains shaken since Masao's death, he manages to confirm with her about Angel's existence within the institute and formulates a plan for her capture. Slipping out of the hospital unnoticed, David travels to Watsonville and travels to the rehab center in Yellow Pages and encounters Mac's sponsor Rob Parker who leads him to Mackreides who is surprised about David's arrival. David informs him of his discovery and urges him to help in Angel's recapture, Mac initially refuses but David discloses that Masao did not want to sell the facility cause of karma belief and knows that the creature would return to its birth place. After David discloses where Masao was killed, Mac is overwhelmed with guilt as maintaining the tank was part of his job though he had put it off continuously for a week due to his post depression drinking. Mac realizes that Jonas is being set up as he knows that half of Hollywood executives were not born during their years of fame and do not care about them now. Attaining the necessary information, Mac decides to join David in Angel's recapture.
On Neptune, the shaken crew retires to their quarters after Jason's death with Jonas still remained on deck and consumed by the thoughts of death. While staring at the horizon, Jonas fails to notice the sudden disappearance of swarming sharks. The contestants honors Jason while Susan can only seek to monetize his death, much to Andrew and Erik's disgust. Jonas notices a soft glow underneath the vessel to which he suspects that underwater lights were activated until Jonas checks in with the vessel's captain Robert Robertson only to discover that they had not been turned on and the glow to have disappear from the vessel. During his stroll, Jonas discovers Danielle and Wayne making out on the Zodiac and threatens to pummel Wayne to death.
The next dawn, the shooting of Jason's departure takes place with the next challenge of swimming with the sharks taking place simultaneously. Andrew and sound technician John Lowry descend below in a stainless-steel shark cage and capture the moment of Jason's body being lowered in the ocean, only to be ravaged by other nearby sharks, much to Andrew's disgust. Team Mako enters the feeding frenzy area, with Wayne inside the ring formed by 4 other members, and fends off from other predators with a lance as they advance closer to the humpack's carcass. The team reach and climb the carcass, only for it to rotate as it seeks a new equilibrium, with each of their splashing movements agitating sharks further. Lexy is heavily injured from two sharks fighting over her left leg but is saved by Wayne, who wards them off with the lance, though he loses the weapon in the process. The rest of the team reaches for the Zodiac as Jennie quickly pilots it back to the vessel, the medic extracts Lexy and treats her injury with camera crews surrounding her. Meanwhile, Jonas looks for the whale's carcass as he discovers an giant bite mark gushing along its expossed stomach.
Back in Monterey, California, Patricia confronts Mackreides about their relationship, as well as his untreated issues dating back to his father's suicide. Additionally, Mac informs her that the Tanaka Lagoon deal is in jeporady due to David's refusal of signing with the Diestch Brothers. He informs her of Angel's sighting in California waters, but treats it as David's imagination filled by Masao's tales, and suggests to let David make a case of his own in a few days, before guiding him to sign off the deal.
Aboard in Cape Calvert, Terry is introduced to the crew with captain Ron Marino, Jr., first mate Brian Olmstead and Michael Villaire and is presented with the M-79 Grenade Launcher as the weapon that can injure the Meg.
Out in the sea, Erik confronts Maren about Jonas's suspicion of the Meg's presence near the vessel Neptune. Upon hearing that no examination was conducted on the carcass, Maren takes joy in knowing of Jonas's incompetence and advises Erik to continue playing dumb, Erik demands to know if tonight, the Meg will appear, but is only given ambigious answers from Maren. The call interruptedly ends when Jonas pounds on Erik's quarter as he hides the radio before opening for Jonas as he confronts him about the presence of a Meg nearby but feigns ignorance about the creature's presence and advises Jonas to seek some time with his daughter. Before Jonas leaves, Erik hands him a bottle of Valium.
In Pacific Rim National Park, the male Meg reappears, and hunts and kills a nearby grizzly bear, which is lured by the scent of a stranded dolphin before slipping back into water. Sometime after, the Meg regurgitates the remains of the bear after unable to properly digest it. By night, Terry is joined by Joshua, with the former explaining that Angel's capture would be beneficial for local economies and the institute. Joshua confides his philosophy in her in which he always changes to a new drastic setting when old things got bad, he admits his attraction to Terry and offers a physical companionship but leaves the choice up to her before heading back inside. After 3 hours, the vessel detect movement ahead by the crew.
In Port Renfrew, teenager Justin Tomasini and his friend Ryan Muskett prepare to fish off the island as they break the Coast Guard's quarantine protoccols, following the toxic algae cover story made by West Coast Marine Detachment which is met with skepticism by Ryan. The pair challenge each other on a bet in which the most caught gets money from the other. Their activity soon attracts the Meg as it races for their boat and capsizes the vessel, sending the pair overboard.
The Cape Calvert crew takes notice of the capsized fishing boat and faces the Meg, which had killed Justin and Ryan and consumed their remains before disappearing into the sea. Terry searches for Villaire, who tells him to prepare the launcher and urgently tells the crew to head back to the shore after Terry verifies that the Meg they are facing is not Angel. Joshua and the crew oppose as they continue their pursuit of the beast out the open ocean.
During the night, the Neptune suddenly rolls hard to port, throwing everyone onboard the vessel off their balance. Jonas stumbles upon Mia, who helps cure him of vertigo. Mia confides Jonas about her out of body experience in which she and her friends Beth and Ellie were critically injured in a car accident, where she describes the sensation being temporarily dead and was able to look at the accident as a spirit before saved by Ellie. The trio were taken to the ER where Mia relives the sensation again in which she believes that she was dead once again. In the spirituality plane, Mia encounters a man and begins to fear for her life as she did not want to leave her mother alone and pleads the entity into letting her live in which the man relents to her request. At the end of the story, Mia awakes back inside the hospital and feels a painful sensation and interprets the man in relenting to her returning back to reality was because of the intolerable amount of pain she had to endure. After the story, Mia advises Jonas to not let the thought of death keep him from living and invites him into waterskiing with the contestants.
Jonas and the rest of the crew waterski admist of a storm and flounder between sky and sea, much to his enjoyment. After their trip, Jonas and Mia are informed of a missing person from the group as Barry and Shinto fail to return to the vessel though Shinto is shortly accounted for but Barry's disappearance sparks an arguement between Wayne and Coffey as each blame another for failing to attach the ropes and clips to the surfers. Jonas examines the rope and discovers that it had been cut with a sharp saw.
Back at the Tanaka Lagoon, David and Mackreides examines the canal doors, with the latter investigating the junction box and discovering that the canal doors remaining open is because mountains of silt accumulated and piled inside of each door for 7 years since its last activation. In an attempt to convince him to sign the deal, Mac points out the amount of work and money that had to be done in order to restore its functionality but David remains adamant in not selling the Lagoon and formulates another plan. David paid visits to CEO of Jericho Mortgage Rodney Kenneth Cotner and convinces in negotiating a deal with Patricia's help. After David's departure, Patricia reminds Rodney that she will successfully work out a deal between the Diestch Brothers and informs him that Masao had given Mac the power of an attorney in his will. If Mac signs the deal, it will become impossible for David and Terry to back off from the brothers deal.
As the Neptune sails through Palau, Jonas notices that a Zodiac had detached from the vessel and headed straight for Coelecanth. Aboarding the yacht, Erik angrily confronts Maren about Barry's disappearance and his role in staging it as he did not agree for members of the crew to be killed in their deal. Erik threatens to cut off their deal unless the Meg resurfaces tonight much to Maren's ire, who sends Satoshi to forcefully escort him back to the Galleon. Elsewhere in the contestant's quarters, Susan and Erik updates remaining players with Barry's disappearance and his search continuing in the Manila sea by Coast Guards and Palau authorities, due to him wearing a life preserver at the time, much to everyone's skepticism of his survival. In addition, his disappearance led to an unfair advantage in which it is remedied by adding another player to the Mako team with Wayne choosing Danielle as the extra member. During Danielle's 18th birthday, the news is broken out to all staff personnel including Jonas, much to his shock and anger.
Along the Northwest Coastline of Washington, Terry ponders on whether to continue the pursuit against the Meg or take the Zodiac back to the shore in daylight. Joshua talks to Terry who demands to be let off the vessel and does not allow him to take control of her decisions. In a moment of vulnerability, Terry confides in him about her experience twenty years prior, which had changed her outlook on life, so Joshua convinces her to continue the pursuit for the betterment of her family and promises to return her to shore if asked, to which Terry is willing to give him a chance.
At the Lagoon, David searches the insitute for Angel's thumper only to discover that it had gone missing, unbeknowst to him that Terry had taken it with her. On the Angel-II, Mac angrily confronts Patricia about her deal with David, she justifies her reason in letting Terry and David leave with profit to better their financial difficulties. Patricia attempts to get Mac to sign the contract as the Diestch brothers rescind their offer as of midnight, only for Mac to tell her to let Terry to handle the issues, much to her frustration. Their arguement is overhead by David, until it is interrupted by Angel bumping the vessel, which frightens Mac as he realizes that she is waiting to be fed. Angel's attention is brought to David with the Meg bite through the Lexan barrier, which is the only thing seperating him and the creature. Before Angel breaks through the barrier, David manages to activate the emergency button which lowers two titanium plates over the barrier, preventing the facility from being flooded. The creature transfers its attention towards the Angel-II vessel which locks onto Mac and Patricia. The vessel is partially destroyed and submerged, as Patricia climbs into a rowboat and Mac is sent overboard, causing Angel to become distracted from Mac by Patricia, who creates rythmic sounds with her oar and creates enough time for David to pull Mac to the otherside of the tank. The two rushes back to the surface and reunites with Patricia, as the trio barely escapes death.
After news of Danielle's participation breaks out, Jonas pursues her and tries to persuade her to withdraw from the tournament but fails as she joins the others for the next challenge. The Mako team comprising Wayne, Jennie, Shinto and the recently appointed Danielle, as well as a Zodiac with Andrew and two of his film crew, film their latest stunt. As night falls, Andrew notices a bite mark on a sperm whale's pectoral fin before is confronted with the Meg rising from below as the Daredevil crew, including cameraman Stuart Starr, prepare for their stunt. Aboard the Neptune, an aide alerts the crew of the Meg's presence as Jonas realises that Erik had set him up before rushing to save his daughter, the Daredevils and the filming crew with Mia close behind. The male Meg is revealed to be one of Angel's litter that had fled from its mother and is scarred with numerous, gruesome lacerations stretched across its dorsal fin and snout. Detecting the lifeboat as a defenseless calf, the Meg pursues the crew. After the whale has exhaustedly towed the lifeboat, the bull dives deep, sending all of the crew into the ocean before Danielle becomes entangled in the Meg's current and hears the scream of a man being slaughtered by the Meg. Jonas and Mia arrive on time to rescue Danielle, Jennie and Stuart but miss Shinto and Wayne. They locate another man but discover that he is surrounded by the creature, before Mia and Jonas work together to bring Wayne on the Zodiac, revealing that the screaming man was Shinto. The survivors struggle to locate the Neptune before being pursued by the disfigured Meg with Jonas piloting the Zodiac and managing to lose the Meg. Allison and Maren watch the survivors struggle from the chopper above, the latter taking delight in Jonas' pain. Shortly after, Coffey, Dee, and Stewart rush to the Zodiac and guide them back to the Neptune, before Jonas notices the Meg circling the dying sperm whale. Maren is enraged that Jonas has evaded death yet again, and the couple returns to the Coelacanth. The survivors return to the Neptune to find Erik and Susan uploading the footage to be edited, Andrew and his filming team in sickbay being treated for abrasions, and Jonas ordering Captain Robertson to cancel the voyage only to be told that he is commanded to stay near the whale's carcass.
Jonas pays a visit to Andrew in the sickbay, where Andrew learns about the recent occurrences and that Meg is a young male adult. Jonas shares his thoughts on the expedition being a set up, as well as the account of Nuestra Seora de la Concepcion and the type of ship that routinely sank near the Mariana Islands. When Angel first fled from the lagoon, she was imprisoned on the Washington coast in Grey's Harbor, where a replica of an 18th century Galleon ship Lady Washington with a similar design to the Neptune was docked. That paritcular type of vessel caused Angel to go berserk due to its strain and creeks generating reverberations similar to that of a dying whale. Jonas suspects that the ship had been following them through the voyage and had killed Barry following his disappearance into the sea. In order to confirm his theory of it being lured to the vessel, Jonas plans to board the Coelacanth following his past experience with Angel, which involves in teaching the creature to respond certain electronic stimuli and simple commands as well as discovering the mastermind behind the conspiracy, as he doubts Hollander being the brains after witnessing his reception aboard the yacht the other day.
Following Angel's attack on the Tanaka Lagoon, Mac visits Gregory Stechman, co-owner of Stechman Salvage, and informs him of the recent attack while concealing Angel's involvement as the business had towed Angel-II's remnants. Inside the institute, David asks beef and innards to be used as bait before being alerted by Patricia that there are reporters in the building who want to inquire Terry about the Meg surrounding the Neptune on the Daredevils Show. On Cape Calvert, Terry and Joshua are informed by the crew that the Meg is heading back inland for feeding. They intend to lure the creature and drug it by lacing fresh sea lions carcasses with anesthetic pouches. Remembering that the canal doors need extensive repairs, Terry phones David with Joshua's phone. David answers the phone but keeps the events in Lagoon hidden from her in order to keep her calm. Furthermore, David is reassured of his father and sister's safety by Mac, but remains skeptical of the Neptune news.
Outside the Lagoon, Devin and Drew survey the canal doors and is informed of Terry's absence through Rodney. As they depart, Angel locks on the rythmic sounds and begins her hunt after the brothers. At the Institute, David and Mac cooperate in getting sand extracted from the gaps of the canal doors, with David activating the thumper, which spreads the underwater sound systems and lowers the baited raw beef inside the water. The pair prepare the process of sand removal and Angel's luring. After 5 hours of waiting, Mac calls it a day as the pair retires to a game between Giants-Phillies.
Elsewhere on the Neptune, Jonas is preparing to board the yacht when he is interrupted by Mia, who wishes for sexual intimacy, but Jonas denies out of respect for his wife and family, as overheard by Danielle and Wayne. Jonas boards the Zodiac and arrives at the boat, where he meets Maren for the first time in 18 years. Maren reveals the years since he was abandoned in the Alaskan tundra by Mackreides. Maren says that he has been conducting research in the Philippine Sea Plate, which contains a prehistoric habitat that has persisted for over 100 million years and preserved the existence of ancient creatures that were supposed to be extinct for a long time, with the Megalodon being one of the dominant species in that part of the ocean. In addition to his discoveries, Maren reveals that the Meg in the area had interaction with humans as early as 1918 as well as disclosing that he had come across of the scarred Meg, who Allison dubbed as Scarface, which gains its appearance through losing a terrirotal dispute with another rival Meg. Scarface was tagged with multiple homing devices and monitored by Maren, much to Jonas' surprise given the former Singer's failure to complete a similar mission. In response to his question, Jonas is escorted to the mechanical room, where he is presented with a micro sub with advanced military technology that allows him to traverse deeper and summon Scarface by identifying him and surrounding him with a variety of bioelectronic signals. Maren discloses that on the day of the storm and Barry's disappearance, Scarface appears on its own because it is drawn to the reverberations created by the vessel, with Jonas realizing that Maren suggested leasing the vessel to Erik without understanding why. Maren states his disdain for Jonas as he does not open up the exploration movement in which it may benefit humanity through his popularity but destroys it by Angel's escape, which chases away possible investors from sponsoring future investigations. Maren uses the Daredevils show to gather public attention, and Scarface's appearance in the last episode opens the door for his own series of explorations in the Philippine Sea, as well as enough funding to spearhead an expedition into the abyss. Furthermore, Maren admits that another beast larger than Megalodon has been escaping him for the past 8 years. After revealing the necessary information, Maren has Jonas tortured by Satoshi and confesses that he included him in his plan due to Jonas's orchestration of the death of Celeste Singer and the crew of the Prometheus.
Aboard on the Galleon vessel, The Daredevil participants are summoned to the editing room where Erik inquires Danielle about her father's whereabouts, only to be horrified by Jonas's plans. At the meeting, Susan explains at the meeting that any Daredevils who participate in a stunt involving the Meg will be awarded half a million dollars, but none are willing to go through with it because they have clarified that they are doing stunts with a degree of safety involved, but none is guaranteed when it comes to the beast, and they are doing it for the rush and not for money or fame. Before they threaten to quit, Susan remedies the situation by asking Erik to inquire Wayne and Coffey while letting the rest to enjoy their day. Erik tells the pair that the show needed 5 stunts to complete a season but they only managed to accomplished 3 and offers the final stunt to be a personal duel between both of them near the Meg's vicinity without endangering them. Coffey agrees to perform the act in exchange for the winner and runner-up receiving $4 million and $2 million, respectively, and encourages Hollander to withdraw cash from the network. Danielle soon finds Wayne and hears about his planned stunt involving the Meg, much to her chagrin. She wonders if their relationship has been faked up to this point as Wayne now pursues the competition and money before angrily storming off, deciding that being a Daredevil isn't who she is.
After a long period of waiting for the Meg to take the bait, Terry realizes that the cutter engines are frightening the creature and asks Brian to turn them off, causing the bait to sink. Terry's plan works as the Meg becomes agitated after hearing a rythmic sound from the buoy. The creature draws closer to the vessel before abruptly reverses to East to chase after its intended prey, much to her confusion, as she begins to wonder whether the Meg is Angel. Terry acts on her intuition and disconnects the cord that powers the sonic gadget, causing the Meg to approach the vessel with caution. The beast bites the carcass, and the crew reverses the line to allow the medicine to take action. Just as they thought the drug had taken its effect, the Meg becomes agitated and closes in on the vessel, Terry advises the crew to beach themselves on Destruction Island as outrunning the behemoth is impossible, much to Joshua's chagrin. As the captain closes on the island, Joshua wrestles him for control and steers the vessel away from the island as the creature succumbs to the drug's effects. Joshua instructs the captain to chart towards Grey's Harbor before inviting Terry on the zodiac to examine the beast. Upon closer examination, Terry affirms that the Meg is not an Angel because its tail has male claspers. When Joshua boards the ship, he radios Sea World about the Meg's capture, and Terry embraces him intimately. Sometime after, Terry dreams of Dani discovering her infidelity and the consequences that follows suit which frightens her awake. Not wanting to ruin her family relationship, Terry aboards the Zodiac back to Grey's Harbor under the guise of acquiring hygiene products.
In San Francisco, California, Ronald Roehmholdt begrudgingly meets his ex-wife Susan and her attorney Spencer Bullock on his boat. The latter pair intends to head off to Pac Bell where the game occurrs between Giants-Phillies, intending to catch a home run ball which has the value between 3 to 5 million dollars. Since Ronald is going to McCovey Cove, Spencer suggests to let him tag along as calling the cops on him will only further delay their shot of finding the best seat at the stadium, with Susan reluctantly agreeing to the proposal. The boaters and yachts gather around McCovey Cove where the majority of Burrell's home run balls land and the odds of acquiring one increases more so than the lottery. McCovey Cove becomes a place of virtual floating parking lots. Elsewhere, Angel had abandoned its chase after the Diestch brothers and starts to pick up sounds in McCovey Cove. Inside the stadium, Mac and David pitch a plan to work together to obtain Burrell's home run ball and divide earnings equally. In the right field bleachers, psychologist James Hollen and his wife Jessica Burna conduct an experiment in which he pulls out a baseball and tosses it over to the right as Burrell's strikes the ball to the left field, the bogey landing outside McCovey Cove, which the swarming crowd quickly discovers to be a fake. Angel, unbeknownst to them, touches the hull, but realises the source is inedible, before feeling another disturbance. Floating in the center of the commotion, Paul Barkmeier's scent is picked up by Angel, who then kills by a nearby Great White Shark, as it had also caught up on his scent. As Burrell hits a home run, the ball flies toward Ronald, attracting the attention of Susan and Spencer, as well as hundreds of other people who begin to fight over the object like crazed animals. A string of people drops into the ocean as Ronald struggles to surface and begins to drown under the weight of many people, but manages to climb on a nearby vessel as he witnesses Angel killing and devouring dozens of people, including Susan and Spencer, much to his distraught. Inside the stadium, David and Mac take notice of the massacre in McCovey Cove and rush outside.
Shortly after Danielle and Wayne's argument, she express her regrets in lashing out and returns to apologise, only to discover that Wayne is cheating on her with Jennie. The moment is witnessed and recorded by the rest of the crew onboard, and Danielle storms away. Elsewhere on the Coelacanth, a badly bruised Jonas overhears that he will be fed to Scarface in 4 hours. In the editing room, Erik reveals to Susan that Andrew's crew will not return to the ocean and the footage of the ocean appears bouncy and blurred which irks Susan but is reassured by Erik that the captain of the Coelacanth will provide the necessary footage. Danielle enters and interrogates Erik about her father's location and the captain's intentions with him, but is feigned ignorance, though she see through his lies and threatens to kill him if her father is harmed. As she walks away, she see Charlotte interviewing Coffey and Wayne about their upcoming stunt before heading to Erik's stateroom where she runs into Jennie, who taunts her about the recent occurrences before Danielle knocks her out with a bible. As the stunt commences, Danielle takes Jennie's place and pilots the jetski along Wayne towards the dead sperm whale.
Departing from Cape Calvert, Terry abandons the Zodiac in Kalaloch arrives in Westport, Grey's Harbor after hours of running away from the vessel and meets Sean Justus, who Sea World hired to transport the animal, and the transportation crew consists of 4 young men Ashley Davidson, Jeff Gruman, Cory Akins and Josh Jenkins. Terry conceals the creature's identity while promising to meet them at the pier in 15 minutes. Afterwards, Terry calls David only to find him unresponsive at home or at the institute. As they travel along the Pacific Coast Highway, David suggests using a portable thumper to entice Angel back, but Mac rejects the idea due to its speed. The pair returns to the institute to watch the Daredevils show before looking for another means to entice Angel. After unable to call David, Terry ponders about her uncertain future about her family and the institute before she discovers the news of Angel slaughtering dozens at McCovey Cove, much to her horror as she faints.
On the Coelacanth, Jonas is informed that Scarface will begin to surface in an hour and is ordered by Maren to be thrown into the sea by Satoshi. Jonas tries to find and escape back to the Neptune vessel, but he is slowed by injured ribs from his torture session. Danielle, fueled by wrath, resents the Daredevils and the film crew and despises herself for losing her self-esteem and direction as a result of her attempts to fit in. She goes on her search for her father near the vicinity of the Coelacanth, with Wayne forcibly tagged along and dropped at the sperm whale's carcass. After putting a distance from the yacht, Jonas knows that Maren is keeping a track on him and guides Scarface to his location before he decides to swim side by side with the yacht. On the yacht, Allison finds Maren's actions deplorable with the paleobiologist realising that Jonas has disappeared from his radar. The crew attempt to locate Taylor, with Satoshi speculating that he might have drowned due to the amount of pain he was subjected to, but Maren suspects that Jonas is secretly formulating a plan. Seeing Danielle's impending approach, Maren has Satoshi confirm of the Zodiac's submersion before greeting her, with Maren falsely informing her that Jonas has left the ship, but she sees through his deception and naively asks to enter the vessel, which Maren accepts. Allison and the Coelacanth crew spot Jonas beside the stern and are told to attract Scarface to him. As she boards, Jonas cries out her name before being targeted by Scarface, who smashes his elbow through the creature's nostrils and rides on it before flinging back down due to the enormous suffering it imposes. Danielle dashes for the jetski and scoops up her father before being pursued by Scarface, whom Maren dispatches. Back at the whale's carcass, Wayne prepares his stunt and, horrifyingly observes that smaller sharks have abandoned the feeding area. Danielle slams the engine against the blubber, sending both of them on the carcass. To assist them, Wayne performs his act, successfully luring Scarface away. The whale carcass rolls and send Jonas and Danielle in the water before taking refuge on its flank. Captain Robertson and Andrew directs the vessel to the Taylors' location with Evan and Mia rescuing the pair. Shocked to see that the Neptune is distancing itself away from him, Wayne fails to control his stunt before Scarface rises up and swallows him whole, but he manages to burst out from its gills and kickstart himself up to the surface. In a moment of arrogance, Wayne berates Coffey and Jonas before he climbs to the cargo net where he is pulverised and killed by Scarface.
In Monterey Bay, California, David and Mac arrives at Masao's house, where David recognises Mac's old alcoholic habits returning as he tries to call back to the rehab center in Watsonville, only for Terry to dial David. Terry informs him that she had captured the Megalodon of Vancouver with David furiously informing her that two Megalodons cannot be placed in the same tank and asks for the thumper. As Terry and David's conversation is ongoing, Mac flees the scene with David dialling back the rehab center. Arriving at a deserted arena, Rob is called to Mac's location and the pair meet once again. Mac tells him of his childhood and his inability to move past his abused trauma and coping with alcoholism. Mac express his uselessness in the whole event, but is reassured by Rob in helping him.
Aboard the Neptune, the crew mourns for Wayne with Jennie being affected the most, with the captain steering the vessel away from the whale. Danielle is brought to the sickbay by Jonas and Andrew and is sedated, Erik and Susan recoils from excitement about the captured footage and both are ready to sent it for editors and upload to L.A. The vessel is rocked by Scarface who continues its chase after the Galleon ship which causes panic onboard. The vessel takes damage as the lower deck is submerged, Lavac is ordered to contact the Palau Coast Guard for assistance and Erik is to contact the Coelacanth. Jonas advises the captain to shut off the keel lights which he does so through Jackson, an Neptune crew member. Scarface ends its chase and dives deep beneath the vessel. The crew learn that the antenna is down, preventing communication with the outside world, Jonas exposes Erik's role in the whole voyage, much to their wrath, as Jennie suggests Erik is to be tossed overboard for Scarface to feast on. Erik offers to contact Maren to lure Scarface away with the drone and hurries to the stateroom. Inside, Erik bargains for his crew's life in exchange for the tapes and footages as it had yet to be edited and uploaded to the network. Maren relents and promises an evacuation of the Neptune crew as long as the footage is verified by him.
As the Neptune crew are assigned to their lifeboat, Stuart records of the vessel's last moments as Erik and Susan load their belongings and footage in watertight cases. The coelacanth boards close to the ship, but Scarface collides with it as it spins counterclockwise. In the admiral's gallery, Jonas warns the captain that Maren will only want the footage to safety and willing to desert the crew. Outside, Danielle and Andrew board the lifeboat and await his arrival. On the Coelacanth, Maren collects the footage but refuses to allow Erik and his crew onboard due to the crew having learned of Maren's wrongdoings and the possibility of pinning recent deaths on him. Maren orders Satoshi to throw Erik overboard and abandon his team to sea. Onboard the vessel, Jonas lights a cannon and fires towards the yacht through the aft deck which Maren curses Jonas and swears to kill him. With the Coelacanth on fire, its crew abandons ship with Satoshi sustaining severe burns as he tries to climb on Jonas's lifeboat but the latter prevents him as Satoshi is swooped and killed by Scarface. On the sky, Allison and Maren board the chopper and fly overhead.
When Terry returns to Cape Calvert, she discovers that the Meg being towed is drowning, and Joshua is furious at her for abandoning him. Sean and the transportation crew board the ship, notice the creature, and break the news of Angel and one from the Daredevils TV show. Terry informs Joshua that she no longer desires the Meg in light of Angel's return. Terry approaches Villaire and requests the launcher to be taken out as she had noticed slight movement from the Meg but her request is ignored by the others. As they are towing the creature into the transportation tank, the Meg awakens and fights out of its restraints as the crane can no longer hold the beast. Each of its movement further destabilises the ship, and Villaire attempts to kill the creature, but Joshua stops him by directing the launcher's aim away from the creature. The steel cable snaps and lashes through his left kneecap, immobilizing him. When Terry regains her footing, she discovers that the line has vanished, as has the Meg. The area is soon swarmed by local police and media, Terry retreats back to the donut shop, where Joshua encounters her again. Terry berates him for his actions in losing the Meg and ending their arrangement, but Joshua demands payment for his crew and damages caused by the Meg, and offers her to recapture Angel, but Terry rejects his offer. Just then, David overhears the pair's previous agreement and discovers that the thumper was removed from the ship the night before as retaliation. Terry hugs David as he had gotten here through Mac who pilots the pair on a chopper.
As morning rises, Captain Robertson leads the lifeboats to the nearest island of Ulithi Atoll, with the lifeboats boarded by Danielle, Andrew, and Jonas falling behind due to their exhaustion and lack of manpower. At Palau Pacific Resort, Maren meets Gelet, who is shown footage of Jonas destroying his yacht and fabricates a tale around it. Gelet delivers the news, which contradicts his prior remark, but dismisses Jonas and focuses on the situation of 93 people adrift at sea, with Maren promising to return for them on the chopper. On the airstrip, Maren calculates his next move on fabricating a story with the perception that he is the hero with Jonas as the villian, and decides the best course of action is to film his effort of rescuing the survivors, but leave out the results. Maren plans to hover over them and contact the Palau authorities, then lead the survivors to the nearest island, before sickening Scarface on the people, but not before rescuing few crew members and sending it to attack the lead boat before descending on Jonas and Erik. Formulating the plan, Maren adjusts his course for the fly-by and executes the plan. When Jonas, Andrew, and Erik realize that Maren's attempt to rescue them was a hoax, Jonas lines his boat with Erik's and Erik and Susan jump across to the other. Maren directs the barracuda towards one of the two lead lifeboats, where Coffey and Mia, along with 8 Candygirls, 2 cameramen, and 3 production assistants, are boarding. Scarface plunges all of its inhabitants underwater, and Mia is killed by Scarface as it rises from the water and snaps its jaw shut. Maren then guides the drone to Jonas' lifeboat, but Jonas dives into the water, wrestles with the drone, and directs it to the surface. Jonas snaps its antenna off, effectively bypassing its remote communications, and wraps his feet over the back of the item, allowing his feet to freely move the propeller and maintaining surface presence. On the chopper, Maren struggles to save the survivors as 11 people grab its landing struts, destabilising the airship. While maintaining control of the chopper, Maren notices that the device has altered course and is heading towards him; he tries to take control but fails since it is jammed. Jonas points the drone at the chopper, raises the nose cone, and drives his leg down, sending the device and himself into the air. Jonas grabs on the landing strut and warns Coffey to get the people to leave before tossing the antenna into cockpit and dives back to the sea. Scarface rushes out of the water and bites down on the landing strut, plunging Maren into the abyss where he drowns and waits to be devoured.
On the tropical island of Ulithi Atoll, Jonas finds himself in the infirmary, where Erik informs him of the circumstances following Maren's death, expresses gratitude for saving him, and offers half a million dollars in thanks to Stuart, who had videotaped the ordeal, but Jonas declines his offer. Danielle approaches him in the infirmary, and Jonas expresses how proud he is in his own daughter as they share a touching moment.
Elsewhere in the Farallon Islands, Mac and Terry fly overhead in search of the loose Megalodon, and the pair catches up with one another, with Terry astonished by Mac's level of maturity as Mac questions his own future with Patricia. At the canal entrance in the Tanaka Institute, Joshua and David cooperate in sealing Angel in the penn with the former readying his wetsuit and stations near the canal doors. David suggests to Joshua to dredge the gate and make sure the canal entrance is cleared, but Joshua resists since he will not dive until Terry and Mac have located Angel. Overhead, Mac and Terry spot 3 sharks concentrated in one place and remembers how Angel had left her scent, attracting nearby male sharks, but Mac suspects that they had been following the thumper that was used to lure Angel. The sharks break their formation as Angel rises up in an attempt to bite the acoustic device. Terry radios David in locating the beast and David informs Joshua of Angel's location and urges him to dredge the doors, though he opts to close it to reassure him of its functionality. Joshua dives and discovers that the doors are not responding and resurfaces, revealing to David that the junction box has no power source, much to a dumbfounded David's confusion, who quickly searches for an alternative. With his quick thinking, David devises attaching the cable to the generator on board the barge and plans to dive, but is stopped by a concerned Patricia, whom he reassures of his safety and the time remaining until Angel's arrival. Patricia notices the Diestch Brothers' boat from a distance as David departs. Aboard the Cigarette Boat, Devin and Drew plan to explode the canal with the use of platter sea-mines. Outside, David orders Joshua to connect the undersea cable to the junction box, with the other end connected to the generator, and asks Patricia how long it will be until Angel arrives. Patricia contacts Terry and Mac, who are notified that they are an hour away and that the Diestch Brothers are in the area, which is also taken noticed by Joshua and David. The latter runs and dives to connect the other cable to the generator with Joshua's assistance as the pair chip off the crustaceans that cover the generator from the outside. Inside, Patricia discovers the devices the brothers are carrying and is aware of their plans, so she swiftly notifies the US Coast Guard. Elsewhere, the male Megalodon detects the similar scent and vibrations from Angel and races through submarine canyon, where it encounters Joshua and devours him, and begins to turn its attention towards David.
On Boeing 767, Jonas and Danielle begin their return journey to San Francisco, where he discovers that Angel had returned in Californian waters and Terry is dealing the situation, in which she issues a statement in reassuring the public of recapturing her and prayers to the families of the deceased. After the ordeal, the cast and crew of Daredevils and Neptune spend a weekly holiday in Honolulu, Hawaii. Upon touching down, Jonas and Danielle are bombarded with questions from reporters about recent events but is interrupted by Gelet, who escorts the pair.
The pair is led to the arena's main gate, where Jonas notices Mac's truck and hears the thumper in the tunnels. Patricia informs Jonas that there is another shark within the canal and tells him that his son is nearby. David swims quickly to the shadowy fissure where the door's hydraulic hinges are housed, where the male Megalodon rams its head through the opening and wriggles its way deeper into confined areas. On the surface, Jonas releases the beef bait and instructs Patricia to dip it like a tea bag before rushing off to save his son. The Meg notices and rushes towards the bait, realizing that Angel and the Meg are leaving the Pacific Trenches and heading towards Monterey Canyon, where Angel, like its mother, uses the gorge as a nursery location. The Meg lurches towards the bait and rips the meal free, causing the crane to fall into the lagoon. Jonas dives into the water and notices David's head at the canal's end. Jonas instructs David to close the canal doors, which he does. Underwater, Devin spots the half-open steel door with the mines set to explode in one hour, Devin struggles to connect the mine owing to a barnacle infestation, which he scrapes away with a knife. The moving doors catch Devin off guard as he is carried backwards, and the frantic Meg catches the vibration from the sealing doors and head for the open ocean. Jonas and David discover the quick forward Meg, and the gap between the doors is large enough to drive a car through. The canal doors close just as the Meg reaches for Devin, keeping it within its confinement. However, Devin encounters Angel and becomes stuck between the frantic Meg and the beast, yet Angel ignores Devin as it focuses on the male. The two behemoths attack the gate with their jaws, intending to kill one another. Devin frees himself from the weight bell, but in his desperation, Devin smacks his head against one of the buoys, which Jonas feels, and is pulled to the buoys while still breathing. As the attack continues, Jonas orders David to open the doors as Angel glides through the gap and the two lock eyes, before Jonas uses Devin's BCD as a raft and guide themselves to the surface, David updates Patricia on the latest situation, and Jonas orders her to contact the Coast Guard to extract David and Devin while he remains. Jonas notices that the two prepare to mate and determines to stop the mating from happening further, Jonas tells David to shut off the generators so he can assess how much sand he is dealing with, and Patricia to turn off the thumper. Positioning himself, Jonas uses the suction to draw in the sand jammed between the canal doors' gaps. Just as Terry and Mac arrive at the institute, the two beasts complete mating and proceed to attack each other once more. Seaman First-Class Debra Garlinghouse evacuates David and Devin, while Jonas works to complete sand removal as the gap distance gradually diminishes, and the male Meg pins Angel and tries to drown it by bending its pectoral fin at an unnatural position. As Angel's scent attracts surrounding Great Whites, Jonas finds and grips the steel cable leading to a hook embedded deep through the male's lower jaw. As a Great White attacks, Jonas removes his BCD vest and air tank and uses them as a shield against the shark's jaw, As the suction propels him higher to the opposite side of the door, he jumps headfirst into the gap and scrambles to the junction box where he conntects the cable to the box. The resulting surge of energy sends 76,000 volts of electricity through the male, causing it to twitch uncontrollably, giving Angel the upper hand. Angel shoots through the breach before the doors can be closed, knocking Jonas unconscious.
Soon after, Jonas awakens in a heap of silt, with Terry at his side. When the pair is reunited, Terry questions Jonas' decision to open the canal doors, and Jonas admits that he felt a familial tie with Angel, ever since it saved him and Terry from the same fate as the Prometheus crew 18 years ago and could not handle the thought of her dying. Terry realizes the lagoon is now empty and that they are still drowning in debt, but Jonas begins to appreciate what he has.
Afterwards, Mac and Jonas are then summoned to the governor's home in Sacremento, California, where they meet with governor Aaron Byzak and senator Brandon Money. They proceed to narrate the events leading up to this point, including Angel's escape from the lagoon, with the last location seen being Half Moon Bay. Aaron offers that they transform the institute into a big theme park in order to enhance California's economy, and he requests that the pair return Angel to the lagoon. Jonas refuses the request, forcing Aaron to enforce a hunt for the beast, much to his chagrin, because Angel is a protected species, but the governor justifies it as defending the people from the beast's menace. Mac reasons that there is insufficient funding to launch another operation for Angel's manhunt because lawsuits from McCovey Cove victims would bankrupt them, but Jonas discovers a loophole in which they blame the McCovey Cove attacks on the male Megalodon because its digestive system has rendered multiple human body parts unrecognizable and the only people who can tell the difference between a male and a female Megalodon are Terry and Joshua though the latter had been killed. The families victims will be compensated through shared sale in the male Megalodon's teeth. Jonas approaches the governor about assisting with the lagoon's growth, but Aaron refuses to assist them until there is concrete forgery evidence linking the attack to the male Megalodon. When Jonas leaves, he throws him a baseball bat with torn rawhide as a souvenir.
in Tanaka Insititute, Danielle is prepared to lead the show called Megalodon World with Susan helping to direct the series. During the interview, Jonas reveals that Angel's return will help funding an expedition in not just the Mariana Trench but also the Philippine Sea Plate. Suddenly, a crowd of spectators gather around the dark canal with Jonas signaling David into sealing the outer doors to the tank upon Angel's arrival in the lagoon. Jonas, Terry, Mac and his newly wedded Patricia gather and watch as Angel snatches the beef bait and feed it to herself and her unborn young. Jonas finds relief in knowing that Masao is looking down upon them in the afterlife, smiling with pride.