Inspired by the true story of Winter the dolphin, Dolphin Tale is about a young boy, Sawyer, who befriends an injured dolphin who lost her tail in a crab trap. Through their bond and friendship, Sawyer motivates everyone around him to help save the dolphin by creating a prosthetic appendage to replace the dolphin's missing tail. Winter's strong survival instincts become an inspiration to people with special needs throughout the world.