Transiting the Panama Canal – 2023.

**Note West Lock closing and East Lock opening.**

The construction of the Panama Canal is one of those epic tales from the past. It’s a feat of engineering, ambition and courage. Over the span of a decade a little more than a century ago, tens of thousands of workers drilled dynamite holes, drove steam shovels and labored with pickaxes, all the while fighting Malaria. While the French builders of the Suez Canal ultimately gave up in Panama, American crews persevered and created a route allowing ships to travel across a continent. This route took 10 years to build and shortened a ship’s voyage by 7,800 miles!

What may come as a surprise is that only portions of the canal, at each end, are the narrow channels with locks. At its center is the huge man made, Gatún Lake. There, in the middle of one of mankind’s greatest engineering achievements, more than 100 species each of mammals and reptiles, as well as some 500 different birds. All thriving in the nature reserves on islands in the middle of the lake and along its edges.

● Sunday, April 16, 2023.
1. From the deep water of the Caribbean side, we entered Limon Bay and the Agua Clara Locks of the Panam Canal at Colone, Panama.
2. Then under the Atlantic Bridge.
3. We then went through the Gatún Locks, which raised our ship.
4. Onto the Gatún Lake.
5. Through the Culebra cut.
6. Under the Centennial Bridge.
7. Into the Pedro Miguel Locks.
8. Into the Pedro Miguel Locks which lowered our ship into Milaflores lake, and,
9. Under the Bridge of the Americas, at Balboa, Panama, into the Gulf of Panama and the Pacific Ocean’s deep water.
● The Panama Canal is about 40 miles long, shore to shore. 50 miles long from deep water to deep water.
● Our transit time was about 11 hours, shore to shore.

**Note; Rain Forest on one side of Conintental Divide and arid climate on the other side.**

Ships pay to use the canal based on its weight and cargo. This Cruise Ship paid over $450,000 to go through the Canal. That included an extra $30,000 to go through the canal in the daytime, that’s around $300 a passenger.

All the electricity needed to operate the canal is generated at hydroelectric dams. The one that spans the Chagres River created the Gatún Lake.

Excursion director recommended that no one be in the direct sunlight for more than a half hour through the Panama Canal because of the sun, heat and humidity. As usual I did not follow recommendations and got sunburned! Also, I would have lost my position of semi-unobstructed views of locks for photos. When I got a position for taking photos, I didn’t want to loose that position. So I exceeded the recommendations, got sunburned and never got in any direct sun on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday!

Going through the canal is such an experience many crew members would come and watch! They had access to restricted passenger areas. One passenger disobeyed the signs and entered the restricted area for photos and was immediately escorted away.