Arlo Beauregard, a boy who is half-human and half-alligator, is placed in a sewage drain under New York City shortly after his birth, where he is taken by a stream of water into the ocean.

At a wrestling club, the pair meet Furlecia, Teeny Tiny Tony, and Alia, who agree to drive Arlo and Bertie to NYC after they help rescue their friend Marcellus from an aquarium.

In an attempt to help, Ansel reveals his project to remodel the seashore environment of NYC into a large city, and tries to get Arlo to change his image, shocking him, and sends him away.

Disappointed and alone, Arlo enters a sewage drain and is later found by the rest of his group at the same seashore site for Ansel's project, who then teach them that no matter how different he is, his flaws are what makes him who he is.

[6] From The New York Times, Amy Nicholson wrote that "Long before the motley crew crashes the Met Gala, it's clear that director Ryan Crego is bolting wacky gee-gaws onto a rote plot" while also stating that "several gags pay off".

[7] Writing for Pajiba, Kristy Puchko said the LGBT representation in the film was "not only welcomed but groundbreaking", and gave praise to the storytelling, characters, and animation.