The narrative follows Ishmael, a sailor who joins the whaling ship Pequod, commanded by the enigmatic Captain Ahab. Unbeknownst to the crew, Ahab harbors a monomaniacal obsession with hunting Moby Dick, the great white whale that previously maimed him. As the Pequod sails across the oceans, the crew encounters various challenges and omens, all overshadowed by Ahab's relentless pursuit of vengeance.