The Toffin people, or black people of Benin, live in pile-dwellings in the middle of Lake Nokoué, in the West African Republic of Benin. Apart from the water town of Ganviè, where most of these people live, there are a few groups who live in small villages built in part on strips of land and in part in the water. Even though the villages on land are quite close to those built in the water, the inhabitants have very different life-styles; this is mainly due to having to adapt to different environments. However, they share a similar social organization because, despite their isolation, these communities descend from the same ethnic group. In this completely water-based environment, the only means of transport and communication is the pirogue, while open-water fishing provides the main source of income. The floating market of Ganvié helps to add colour and excitement to these people’s lives, who remain strongly tied to the traditions of their ancestors and to the animistic cult called voodoo.