Calls in the darkness and canoes gliding on the water: the "lovers' canal" of Ganvié, in Benin, which for a long time brought together hearts to be won, is gradually falling into disuse among younger generations.

The narrow waterway of West Africa's largest lake city has for decades been the discreet stage for first encounters, for words exchanged under cover of night, away from parental eyes.

But today, younger generations observe it in a nuanced way.

"It's a beautiful story, but today (...) we talk, we get to know each other without hiding," observes Anna, 22, from Ganvié, a few days before Valentine's Day.

"We don't need all this gymnastics to find our soulmate. The canal is no longer as essential as it used to be," agrees Roslin Dantin, a 30-year-old farmer.

"We see the lovers' canal as something for old people. For our generation, there are better things. There is technology and social networks which have replaced those symbols," adds Augustin Gbénoukpo, a 24-year-old student.

- Liberalization of morals -

The liberalization of morals and the advent of dating apps have, in fact, changed the game.

"Today, even from his bed, a young man can make advances to a girl who is on the other side of the world," observes Elise Avlessi, a little nostalgic. "Before, we did everything in secret, we let the relationship mature away from prying eyes," she assures.

It was on this channel that she met Joseph Houegbe, her tailor husband, about fifteen years ago.

"We had no other place where we could meet freely. In the past, our parents did not allow us to go out, and my suitor absolutely had to obtain the family's agreement before he could visit me," she explains.

"Without this channel, our relationship would have been very difficult to establish. It was almost the only way to flirt," she continued.

Joseph recounts whistling in the night, feverishly awaiting the sound of a paddle tapping against the hull of a canoe, a sign of a young girl's interest.

"At night, you couldn't tell the men from the women in the canoes. So they used slogans, keywords agreed upon in advance," explains Jonas Zannou-Zoki, a tour guide, to visitors of the canal.

- Sentimental memory -

And very often, after these discreet meetings, tradition followed its course with an official request, dowry, religious or traditional marriage.

But the canal nevertheless retains a symbolic and religious dimension.

Just a few paddle strokes away, a "Lovers' Square" has been created to highlight this sentimental memory.

Émilienne Atoukou, the site manager, shows the "sacred canary" - a kind of small jar - with a hole in it and installed in the center of a dugout canoe, into which lovers throw cowrie shells, traditional seashells, so that they fall into the canal.

"People come to write their wishes on cowrie shells which they throw here. Then they go to the promises corner. It's an intimate space, dedicated to fidelity and love," she explains.

According to her, the square has been consecrated by dignitaries of all religious faiths in Ganvié, making it a respected, spiritual, and symbolic place. "These are moments of peace and contemplation," she says.

Recently, a French couple came back to testify that their wishes came true after meeting and making promises on this channel. They are still together, years later,” Jonas Zannou-Zoki enthuses.

In Ganvié, water is not only used for fishing or transportation and therefore remains a memory of clandestine loves, of a time when soulmates were recognized first by their voice, before their face.

And although the number of canoes has decreased, some still meet there to seal their union.

Astrid and Pierre-Marie, a couple in their thirties, came a few days before Valentine's Day. "Before the wedding, we wanted a place that had meaning. On this canal, our vows seemed more real," says Astrid.

"We were told about the Lovers' Canal as an old symbol. We came out of curiosity and we're leaving with a promise. We're crossing our fingers that the canal will bring us luck," confirms her future husband.