Panama Canal
After a photograph by Rikin Katyal, 2022

The Panama Canal, a remarkable feat of engineering completed in 1914, carves an 82-kilometre path through Panama, drastically reducing travel time between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. This artificial waterway features three sets of locks, each with chambers measuring 33.5 metres wide and a substantial 304.8 metres long. These locks function like elevators, raising ships up to Gatun Lake, a man-made freshwater lake sitting 26 meters above sea level. Gatun Lake itself was created by damming the Chagres River, significantly reducing the need for excavation during the canal's construction. To navigate the canal, ships enter either the Atlantic or Pacific ends and are raised by the Gatun Locks on the Atlantic side or lowered by the Pedro Miguel and Miraflores Locks on the Pacific side. The canal channel itself has a minimum depth of 41 feet (around 12.5 metres) to accommodate large cargo ships. The maximum allowable size for vessels transiting the canal is 32.3 metres wide, 12 metres draft (depth in tropical fresh water), and 294.1 metres long, though this depends on the specific ship design (these dimensions are known as Panamax and Neopanamax sizes depending on which expansion the canal accommodates). The entire passage typically takes around 8-10 hours, with an average of 200 million litres of fresh water used per transit to operate the locks. Recent droughts in Panama have unfortunately impacted the canal's efficiency. Water levels have dropped significantly, forcing the Panama Canal Authority to limit the number of daily transits. This has resulted in delays for ships using the canal, adding to overall voyage times and impacting global trade.