Sixteen year old mermaid Ariel is dissatisfied with underwater life in the kingdom of Atlantica, a fantasy kingdom in the Atlantic Ocean. She is fascinated by the human world. With her best friend Flounder, Ariel collects human artifacts in her grotto. She ignores the warnings of her father King Triton, the ruler of Atlantica, that contact between merpeople and humans is forbidden. One night, Ariel, Flounder, and Sebastian, a crab who serves as Triton's adviser and court composer, travel to the ocean surface to watch a birthday celebration for Prince Eric. Ariel falls in love with Eric. A violent storm arrives, wrecking the ship, and knocking Eric overboard. Ariel rescues Eric and brings him to shore. She sings to him but leaves just as he regains consciousness to avoid being discovered. Fascinated by the memory of her voice, Eric vows to find the girl who saved and sang to him, and Ariel vows to find a way to join him in his world. Discovering a change in Ariel's behavior, Triton questions Sebastian about her behavior and learns of her love for Eric. An outraged Triton travels to Ariel's grotto and destroys her collection of artifacts. After Triton leaves, two eels named Flotsam and Jetsam convince Ariel to visit Ursula the sea witch.
