Crossing the Isthmus of Panama Via The Panama Canal
The Panama canal is a lock-type canal, approximately 80 kilometers (50 miles) long, that unites the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans at one of the narrowest points of both the Isthmus of Panama and the American Continent. The Canal officially opened its doors to international trade on August 15, 1914, and since then, more than 942,000 vessels have transited the waterway. The Canal's three sets of locks, each of which has two lanes, operate as water lifts to elevate ships 26 meters above sea level to the level of Gatun Lake, in their transit of the channel across the continental Divide, and then lower them back to sea level on the opposite side of the Isthmus.
The 12.6 km Gaillard Cut is the narrowest stretch in the Panama Canal and represents 15 percent of the waterway's total length. The Cut, extending from Pedro Miguel Locks to Gamboa, crosses the Continental Divide.
We crossed from the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean. It was a great experience!!
Read MoreThe 12.6 km Gaillard Cut is the narrowest stretch in the Panama Canal and represents 15 percent of the waterway's total length. The Cut, extending from Pedro Miguel Locks to Gamboa, crosses the Continental Divide.
We crossed from the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean. It was a great experience!!
At completion of lockage from the sea to Gatun Lake, the ships ascend 26.52 meters over sea level.
