The Panama Canal

Every transit to Pacific Ocean from Atlantic Ocean and vice versa was made possible by the Panama Canal which is approximately 37 miles long. This waterway was cut through one of the narrowest saddles of the isthmus that joins North and South America. 

The canal uses a system of locks. The locks function as water lifts; they raise ships from sea level to the level of Gatun Lake (26m above sea level); ships then sail the channel through the Continental Divide. 

Each set of locks bear the name of the town site where it was built: Gatun (Atlantic side), and Pedro Miguel and Mira Flores (Pacific side). The water used to raise and lower vessels in each set of locks comes from Gatun lake by gravity; it comes through a system of main culverts that extend under the lock chambers from the sidewalls 

and the center wall. The narrowest portion of the canal is Culebra Cut, which extends from the north end of Pedro Miguel Locks to the south edge of 

Gatun Lake at Gamboa. This segment, approximately 

6.2miles long, is carved through the rock and shale of the Continental Divide.

Ships from all parts of the world transit daily through the Panama Canal. Some 13 to 14 thousand vessels use the canal every year-5% of the world commercial transportation- at USD346,000. We enter Gatun Locks (3 locks)at 6:30AM to 8:15AM, Pedro Miguel (single lock) at 1:55Pm-2:55PM and Miraflores (double lock) locks at 3:20PM-4:30PM. At approximately 5PM, we finished our transit by sailing under the Bridge of Americas.

The canal has a workforce of approximately 9,000 employees and operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, providing transit service to vessels of all nation without discrimination.