On this page are pictures of the canal, primarily the locks at Miraflores and Gatun.  The next page contains pictures taken in and around Panama City, where I lived, and Colon.  There are also pictures from several fishing trips off the pacific coast of Panama.

The Miraflores locks are the first pair of locks encountered by ships entering the canal from the Pacific Ocean.  This building is the Miraflores lock house from which the locks are operated.

The canal locks are paired with two locks side-by-side to allow two-way traffic.  The locks can also be operated in parallel in the same direction depending on the traffic flow requirements for the canal.  A ship has to pass through three locks on each side of the canal to be raised to the level of Lake Gatun.  Miraflores has two lock pairs.  The third pair of locks on the Pacific side are at Pedro Miguel, about 3/4 mile upstream of the Miraflores locks.

At the entrance to the canal on the Pacific side is the Bridge of the Americas.  Technically this is the only permanent structure joining North and South America.  All of the other structures across the canal are mobile, either swing bridges or the gates of the locks.

On the Atlantic Ocean side of the canal are the Gatun Locks.  This is a set of three lock pairs.  Once an incoming ship transits these locks it is in Lake Gatun.  The ship in the two pictures below center and right is a Panamax (maximum size for the locks) car carrier heading out into the Caribbean Sea.  Probably carrying Japanese automobiles for the East Coast of the US.

Below is the sequence of events for a ship entering the Miraflores lock complex from the upstream Pedro Miguel locks.  On the far left, top row, is the dock that separates the lock pairs.  There is a mechanical arrow on the building at the end of the dock that directs the ship to one side or the other.  As the ship approaches the locks two canal workers in a small dory row out to meet it.  It wasn't clear to me what was going on between the dory and the ship, but it appears they are taking lines to connect the ship with the electric mules that help control and guide the ship through the locks.  On the far right, bottom row, is another ship that has just cleared the Miraflores locks heading toward Pedro Miguel.  They are ready to cast off the lines to the mule before proceeding under power to Pedro Miguel.

Below is another sequence of pictures at the Miraflores locks.  In this set a ship enters the locks on the far left, top row, heading out to the Pacific Ocean.  The ship is guided into the upstream lock by the mules and then is dropped 24 feet to the level of the downstream lock.

Below are two pictures of the electric mules at the Miraflores locks.  The mules are electric locomotives that move along the sides of the locks on rails.  They have large cable winches that can take up or let out the cables attached to the ship.  Normally a large ship will use 4 mules to transit the lock complexes, two one each side.  The ship moves under its own power, but too slowly to maintain steerage.  The mules essentially steer the ship in the lock at the direction of the Canal Pilot on board.  Directions are passed by radio, but primarily by a series of whistles.

On the left and below on the right a ship has cleared the Pedro Miguel locks and is heading toward the Miraflores locks.  In this short distance (less than a mile) it is difficult for the ship to maintain steerage and still move slowly enough to stop at Miraflores.  A number of tugs operate between the two locks to help ships get from one lock to the other.

Go on to more pictures of Panama