Internationally famous oceanographer Steve Zissou and his crew -- Team Zissou -- set sail on a expedition to hunt down the mysterious, elusive -- possibly nonexistent -- Jaguar Shark that killed Zissou's partner during the documentary filming of their latest adventure. They are joined on their voyage by a young airline co-pilot, who may or may not be Zissou's son, a beautiful journalist assigned to write a profile of Zissou, and his estranged wife and co-producer, Eleanor. They face overwhelming complications including pirates, kidnapping, and bankruptcy. and Bud Cort in this wildly original adventure-comedy.