PANAMA CANAL TRANSIT
We transited the Panama Canal East to West, via sets of locks and lakes.
Built between 1904 and 1914, the 51 mile long Panama Canal connects the Caribbean with the Pacific Ocean and considerably cuts shipping journey times. Locks at each end lift ships up to Gatun Lake, an artificial fresh water lake 26 meters (85 ft) above sea level, created by damming up the Chagres River and Lake Alajuela to reduce the amount of excavation work required for the canal. Locks then lower the ships at the other end. An average of 200 ML (52,000,000 US gal) of fresh water is used in a single passing of a ship. The canal is threatened by low water levels during droughts.
