Americas

[Visited: December 2024]

Ah yes, I had been to the Miraflores locks several times before already. Very interesting, and conveniently close to Panama City. But when I heard about newer locks that had been opened, I happily traveled north towards Colón, on the Atlantic side of Panama. Rain is in the air when we drive the road cutting through the rainforest, and it starts to drizzle when we get out at the parking of the Agua Clara locks. We are lucky: a ship has just arrived. We make sure to be at the balustrade as fast as we can. Fortunately, there is a roof over the visitor balustrade, so we can watch the entire process at the locks while being protected. A voice on the PA explains the procedures, tells us all the major statistics about the ship, and the staggering number of containers on it. And it is, indeed, massive!
Two towboats are attached to the gigantic ship, and completely dwarfed by it. What follows is a meticulously carried out procedure. The first barrier is opened, so the ship can move forward. It is being tied to the shore, after which the door behind it is closed. Then, the door in front of the boat is lowered, so the water starts streaming into it. This inevitably means the ship is moving down together with the water. When the ship is in the middle chamber, we walk down towards an observation platform. We now see the ship from below, making it look even much bigger. But the water level is still falling, and the ship comes down with it, slowly but surely. We walk up to the higher observation point again now. Looking south, we see many ships waiting in Gatun Lake. As soon as the ship is in the third chamber, a next ship approaches the upper chamber.
The procedure is again carried out flawlessly, like a military operation. Tow boats attached, doors open, doors close, ship moves forward and is lowered in the second and third chambers. In the distance, we see the older Gatun Locks which are also in operation. These newer locks were opened in 2016 to accommodate larger ships, preparing the Panama Canal for the future. Further north, we see the enormous Atlantic Bridge, built high enough to allow for these monsters of the sea to pass under it. We drive into Colón, and have lunch right on the harbourside. Across the harbour, we see several cargo ships attached alongside the quays. Colón is an old town, but its current existence relies mostly on lying at the north side of the Panama Canal. Rain is now turning into a downpour, and it is time to drive south again.

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Agua Clara locks (Panama)

Agua Clara locks > Panama > Americas

[Visited: December 2024]

Around the World in 80 Clicks