They start out in the USA, where they pit their wits against Kanzi, a bonobo ape who is able to communicate with humans using a series of pictures and symbols - and is also thought to be one of the first apes to show an understanding of spoken English. They also meet a chimpanzee memory wizard, a 25-year-old orang-utan that enjoys playing video games and that well-known genius of the ocean, the dolphin.