Part 2 starts with three simple words getting straight to the point: "The ship sank." That is the beginning and the end of a story that should be a new beginning for the Patels. The rest of the story is just a history narrated by Pi.

     He recalls a monstrous metallic burp as the ship sank. The weather was horrible and made everything blurry, Pi was not sure what was really happening. He hoped to wake up from a bad dream and see his parents and brother sleeping in their beds. Instead, he saw Richard Parker struggling to stay on the surface. Realizing that all the other animals had probably drowned, Pi's first reaction was to encourage Richard Parker to stay strong and make it to the lifeboat, unaware that presence of Richard Parker could diminish chances of his survival. Once Richard Parker was on the lifeboat, Pi remembered his brother's words, after the unpleasant sight of Richard Parker killing of a goat, that he was the next goat.

     The narration goes back to the first days of the trip. Pi had been diligently tracking the route with his world map. He had kept himself busy by taking care of the animals. After they had left Manila and entered the Pacific, the ship sank. Pi was not sure what he had heard, as the cargo ship made constant noise all the time. It might have been an explosion. Whatever it was, it woke him up. He tried to wake up Ravi, so that they could explore the funny noise, but Ravi was not interested. Pi decided to go by himself. Although everything seemed as usual, Pi soon realized that he was wrong. Just as he opened the door, he faced a tremendous storm which tossed the ship over the waves, making it lean to the one side, then to the other. Seeing the chaos outside, Pi decided to go back to his family to warn them about the severity of the storm, but it was too late. As he went inside and headed down stairwell, he noticed the water blocking his way. He ran upstairs panicky, looking for officers and crew. When he finally spotted them, he was relieved, just a little. They were shouting at him in Chinese, thrusted him a life jacket and threw him overboard. They were not trying to help him, but he realized it too late.

     As soon as he landed on a lifeboat, he noticed a zebra flying his way. It was obvious that the men tossed it from above, right after Pi. Zebra landed on a tarpaulin, calling out in distress. As if the whole experience was not enough by itself, Pi noticed a shark nearby.

     When he managed to calm down and adjust to the situation, he started to think rationally. He was lucky to have survived, the only thing he had to do is to take care of himself for couple of hours, before rescuers find him. He stood no chances against Richard Parker, so his plan was to keep away from animals, who were his only threat at that moment. He noticed the poor zebra laying on its front legs, while its back legs stood in awkward position. It was obvious that they were broken. Suddenly, he spotted a hyena behind the tarpaulin. He was terrified, as hyena is actually a real predator. It became clear why the men tossed him on the lifeboat. They wanted him to kill hyena so that they could safely embark.

     In the next scene, Pi noticed an animal floating towards him on an island of bananas. It was an orangutan, Orange Juice, who got her name because of her tendency to drool a lot. Somehow, this orangutan managed to get aboard. She placed herself on top of the tarpaulin, obviously still in shock.

     It was peaceful for some time, but that did not last very long, as the hyena suddenly jumped on the zebra and chopped off its leg. The zebra was so distressed that it seemed indifferent to the loss of leg. Pi was shaken by the scene, feeling repulsion for the hyena. His urge for self-preservation struck him so hard that he realized that it was better for zebra to die than him.

     The first night on the lifeboat was very stressful. Darkness had swallowed the space around Pi, even his own body. Exposed to nocturnal animal and vulnerable, Pi spent the night on the watch.

     Another day brought fresh hope for Pi. He imagined the rescuers coming for him and his parents greeting him after the reunion. Feeling more relaxed, he decided to change his position on the lifeboat. As he got closer to hyena, he noticed Orange Juice. She was holding on the gunnel, holding her head very low between her arms. She was seasick. Having both orangutan and hyena in the sight, Pi wondered how they would relate, since one was found in Borneo and the other in Africa.

     That day brought Pi one dear friend. It was a sea turtle, old and ugly, yet harmless. Pi told her to go and tell a ship where they were. The turtle turned and sank as if she understood his words.