Panama Canal Visitor Centers

Miraflores Locks

Wednesday, 30 January 2019

The Miraflores Locks (on the southern, or Pacific, end of the canal) has another Canal Museum and visitor center. After going through the museum on a one-way path through four levels, there is an outdoors deck that overlooks the Miraflores Locks. Miraflores is a set of two locks that raise/lower ships from the Pacific Ocean to the small Miraflores Lake. One more lock chamber (Pedro Miguel Locks) raises/lowers ships from Miraflores Lake to Gatun Lake. Tides in the Pacific can vary by as much as 14 feet, so the last Miraflores Lock has to handle a wide range of height differences.

All the Canal locks have double sets of gates. This not only provides redundancy, but also helps during gate maintenance.

The original Canal locks have two lanes. Here two "Panamax" (maximum size to fit in the original locks) tankers are entering the upper lock from Miraflores Lake.

Looking back towards Panama City at the Miraflores Locks.

Agua Clara Locks

Friday, 1 February 2018

The Agua Clara Locks are the new, larger set of three locks on the northern (Caribbean) end of the Canal. They were opened in June 2016, along with the corresponding set, the Cocoli Locks, on the Pacific end. Not only do the new locks handle much larger ships, but they can recycle much of the water used to operate the locks. Agua Clara has a visitor center with a nice viewing platform.

The new locks have sliding gates rather than swing gates, but there are still two gates at each lock.

When closed, the gates are wide enough for motorized vehicles to cross. Right now this is the only way to cross the canal on the Caribbean side - on the lock gates at Agua Clara and then over a swing-gate bridge at the Gatun Locks. A new bridge, the Atlantic Bridge, is nearing completion.

The lock gates opening to admit a ship.

Three tugs help an empty LPG tanker enter the lock.

The tugs help keep the large ship centered in the lock.

In the lock, the ship has a tug fore and aft. The third tug is not needed once the ship enters the lock.

While the empty tanker entered the lock, a container ship left the final lock, and an LPG (liquified petroleum gas) tanker was in the middle lock. The under-construction Atlantic Bridge and the Caribbean are in the background.

A short while later, the LPG tanker had left the third lock.

All sorts of ships use the canal. This is the Wind Star (Windstar Cruises), a 148-passenger sailing ship. (Of course, it goes through the canal on engine power!)