Panama Canal Pictures

First Mate Billy On the National Geographic Sea Lion, the caption, First mate and Second Mate all take shifts in the cockpit. Here is First Mate Billy in the cockpit of the boat, which were are traveling in the Gulf of Panama.

Panama Canal Pilot Boat All boats going through the Panama Canal are require dto have a Panama Canal Pilot on board. Th epilots show up in a small boat like this one.

Bridge of the Americas The bridge of the Americas spans the southern (Pacific) approach to the panama Canal. Here is a view of the bridge, seen from the south (Gulf of Panama, Pacific Ocean)

Panama Canal Cranes Cranes of the Panama Ports Company, at the southern end of the Panama Canal. Just leave your luggage here, trust us to send it north through the canal.

Cranes and Tugs The southern and northern ends of the panama Canal were lined with cranes, carge and boats.

Constructiuon of a New Set of Locks Panama is expanding the Panama Canal by constructing new sets of locks capable of handling large ships. Here is a picture of some o fthe construction, this is on the southern end (Pacific side).

Bridge of the Americas The Bridge of the Americas, seen from the north (inside the Panama Canal).

Tug Entering Miraflores Locks This is the southern most end of the Panama Canal, the entrance to the first of the Miraflores Locks. Our ship is already positioned in the lock, and here you see two tug boats being moved into position behind us.

Miraflores Lock Closing The first Miraflores lock in the Panama Canal is closing behind these two tug boats.

Canal Workers Every boat going through the Panama Canal has a set of lock workers who board each boat to attach the ropes to each boat. However, once the ropes are attached, the canal workers job seems to be reading the newspaper.

Entrance to the Pedro Miguel Locks We went through the second set of locks, the Pedro Miguel Locks, at night. At the entrance to the locks is a giant neon arrow that identifies which side of the locks will be used next. You can see one of the small row boats used to catch the ropes, floating in the lock. The mules (train engines) used to guide the boats through the locks are waiting at the side (red lights).

Centennial Bridge at night The Centennial Bridge crosses the Panama Canal between the Perdo Miguel Locks and Lake Gatun. We went under the Centennial Bridge at night.

Container Ship on Lake gatun One the dozens of container ships we passed traveling across Kale gatun and through the Panama Canal.

Canal Workers in Action When entering a lock on the Panama Canal, the Panama Canal workers go into action. Here is a group of them pulling the rope tossed from the side of the locks, to get to the metal rope that actually secures the boat. The supervisor is the worker with the red helmut.

A Study in Contrasts This is the first of the Gatun Locks (looking north). To the left is a small row boat, which is used by the Panama Canal workers to catch ropes tossed to the boats making the transit. To the right you see the back of a car carrying ship, the maximim sized ship allowed through the canal (a "panamax" vessel), making its way from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean.

Gatun Locks Opening Our ship is in the southernmost of the Gatun locks. The water level in this lock has been equalized with the water level in the next lock and the double doors between these two lock chambers are opening to let our ship proceed north. You can see a panamax ship (carrying cars) in the third lock. Only the top half of that ship is visible because the water level in the third lock (northernmost) is being lowered.

Front of a Panamax Ship Passing through the Gatun Locks in the Panama Canal, our ship shared the lock chambers with this ship. This ship, which is as wide as allowed in the canal ewas behind us, so you have a view of its front. Notice the four mules (train engines) pulling the ship forward into the lock. Ships are not allowed to use their owmn power in the locks, they are pulled by these mules, up to eight of them for the largest ships.

Gatun Locks, Closed Gates A set of gates on the Gatun locks, closed since the water level between our chamber and the next chamber to the north is different.

Gatun Locks Opening Now that the water level has dropped in this chamber o fthe Gatun Locks, the doors are opening to let out ship move north into the next lock Chamber. (Gallery: Travel Journals > Costa Rica 12 > Panama Canal Pictures)

View of Northernmost Gatun Lock This is a view of the northernmost lock chamber on the Panama Canal. Ahead is the Caribbean Sea (Atlantic Ocean). As soon as the water levels equalize, our ship will move north into this last lock chamber to be lowered to the level of the Atlantic Ocean. In the distance, the blue ship went through the locks ahead of us and is now streaming its cargo of cars to the Eastern United States or Europe.

Panama Canal Mule That engine at the top of the picture is called a mule. These mules are roped to each ship using a metal rope, and ar eused to guide the ships through the canal.

Female Canal Worker There are very few Panama Canal workers who are female. We were lucky enough to have one of them for our trip through the gatun Locks.

Canal Worker Gloves Canal Worker number 710 left his gloves on the desk of our ship (he came back for them a little while later).

Panamax Vessel in Gatun Locks This is another view of the Panamax ship that follows us through the gatun Locks in the Panama Canal. Here you get a sense at how close the walls of the ship are to the walls of the lock.