The Panama Canal is a 77 km (48 mi) ship canal that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific ocean and a key conduit for international maritime trade. One of the largest and most difficult engineering projects ever undertaken, the canal had an enormous impact on shipping between the two oceans, replacing the long and treacherous route via the Drake Passage and Cape Horn at the southernmost tip of South America. A ship sailing from New York to San Francisco via the canal travels 9,500 km (6,000 miles), well under half the 22,500 km (14,000 miles) route around Cape Horn.
The Panama Canal, completed in 1914 and connecting the Pacific’s pulsating cities of Mexico and America to the Atlantic, is a narrow stretch of engineering mastery. The 80 kilometre cruise along the Panama Canal is an unforgettable experience. The average time spent travelling between the two oceans is approximately ten hours. Each vessel is raised 26 metres in the locks to meet Gatun Lake and each lockage uses 197 million litres of fresh water, which ultimately ebbs away to the sea.
As your cruise ship is guided through the locks, just inches from the canal’s sides, you can look out to the wild jungle beyond. Watch the tropical birds overhead and take in the chatter and shrieks of the rainforest’s wildlife as you go.
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Gatun Locks Webcam
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