Waterworld

We took a boat ride up the river in Cotonou to the stilt village of Ganvié whose name means "the collectivity of those who found peace at last". This lake village was built in the 17th century by the Tofinu people to protect themselves from being captured by the Dahomey kingdom and sold into slavery. The Fon warriors of this most powerful kingdom along the slave coast of West Africa were forbidden by their religion to enter the water making the lagoon a safe territory for other tribes. The village has a population of 20,000 and contains around 3,000 stilted buildings on Lake Nokoué. The people in this unique village live exclusively from fishing (along with a little tourism), use pirogues (wooden canoes) for transportation and have a system of underwater plantings that form fences to trap and breed fish.

Going to market on the water

Plantings in the mud to create fences to trap fish

Dwellings of Ganvié

(Many people in this village do not wish to have their photograph taken.) In the background are the dried bamboo poles used to create "fish fences".

We encountered this stunt fisherman on our boatride up the river. He performed headstands in exchange for a monetary reward.

How I love to watch the skilled throwing of fishing nets

Fish fences

Babies go everywhere!

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