Panama Canal Cruise | Full Transit Atlantic to Pacific | Eurodam

The Panama Canal

Here is a 1 minute video of our trip through the Canal taken by the Eurodam photographers.  As the ship is going throught locks you can also see ships going through the brand new locks for the bigger ships.

We arrived at the Canal about 6am wth lots of ships at anchor waiting their turn to get into the canal

At about 8am we entered the canal.  Our direction of travel through the canal is North to South 

(not east to west)

Entering the Canal

This branch shows where the original canal was planned and dug by the French in the 1800's

Following the container ship into the first Gatun Lock

Lock doors are opening for us

These locomotives called "mules"would help the ship stay centred in the canal.  You can see how the depth of the lock and  far up we will float by looking at the water line on the side of the canal.


Our ship is 106 ft wide and the canal is 110 ft.  A difference of 2 feet on each side of the ship

Looking behind us as the loc doors close.  There is a traffic bridge on top of one set of doors. (each lock has  sets of doors at each end)

In this photo, you can see a fire truck crossing on the gate bridge.  You can also see the rapids where they emptied water out of the lock across from us.

Looking over to the side of the canal, you can see how thick the jungle is around the canal zone.

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An oil tanker entered the lock beside us

We were waving at the tanker and the tanker waved back.

The oil tanker is lowered on it's way to the Atlantic

Ship photographers at the lock

Entering the last of the 3 Gatun Locks.  
Gatun Lake is seen beyond the last gates.   The 3 Gatun locks raised us 85 feet.

The mule is on a turntable to go back and get the next ship

Cruising Gatun Lake

It was a beautiful day.  Lot of sun and temps in the low to mid 80's.  
-Very pleasant for this part of the world.

There are many islands and shallow areas in the manmade lake, where they flooded the Chagres River.  The lake is 26m (85 m) above sea level.  All ships must follow channel markers for the 33 km. of this lake.

Entering the Culebra Cut -  one way traffic only.

Dredging of the canal is an ongoing operation

Culabra Cut  - known for it's unstable geology and many landslides

The Centennial Bridge

Shoring up the hillside because of landslides

Entering the Pedro Miguel Lock.  You can see the new Pacific lock on the right, and faintly in the distance, the Bridge of the Americas.

The beautiful landscape around the canal

Being lowered in the Pedro Miguel lock. 
 We are now looking up at the mule (and a very friendly driver)

As we enter the final set of locks,  Miraflores Locks, the rowboats come out to hook up the mule lines.  This is how they have hooked up the lines since the opening of the canal.  Our guide said they have tried more modern methods but the little rowboats still work the best in each lock.

Miraflores Locks

Frigate Bird.  
These birds with the beautiful tails were seen all through the canal and in the Central American ports.

Skyline of a very modern looking Panama City

The Bridge of the Americas -  We hit the pacific  at about 5:45 pm;  so our transit of the canal was approximately 10 hours.

Central America ports  are continued in Part 2, 3 and 4 of this blog

Link for part 2:Puntarenas Costa Rica to Corinto Nicaragua
Link for part 3: Guatemala
Link for part 4: Mexico