Rosemary McConnell was one of the early pioneers studying the ecology and evolution of the world's richest diversity of freshwater fishes in African lakes and South American rivers. One of the principal subjects of her research on cichlid fishes was into how tilapia, which evolved in African waters but are now such important food fish worldwide, lived in their original habitats. This book provides a relaxed and readable account not only of the enjoyment of exploring tropical waters but also of work on these fish and the African Great Lakes up to the present day. It is also a reminder of how both science and society have changed over the past sixty years, with the advent of new equipment and changed paradigms.