The Pᴀɴᴀᴍᴀ Canal is truly a feat of engineering. Around 14,000 ships utilize it annually. The canal stretches about 48 kilometers. It functions as a waterway for ships to travel between North and South America. The Pacific and Atlantic Oceans are connected via the canal.

The network of locks in the Pᴀɴᴀᴍᴀ Canal, which acts as a “water bridge” for travel, allows ships to be elevated to a height of around 85 feet (26 meters) above sea level.

Ships had to sail 13,000 miles around the Southern tip of South America before the canal was built. A man-made lake, 85 feet above sea level – Gatun Lake, connects the oceans. The ships are lowered and lifted in what way?

The canal’s water lock system operates like a massive elevator. Ships are lifted when they enter the locks using water from the lake. Each lock elevates the ships to a height of 85 feet above sea level. They afterwards travel via Gatun Lake. The ship is then lowered to sea level by the locks. In general, it takes the ship 8 hours to cross the canal.

Let’s watch how ships crossing Pᴀɴᴀᴍᴀ canal in the video below:

Source: Steve Noble

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