Miraflores Locks

Of course we wanted to see the Panama Canal and the Miraflores Locks, the last set of locks on the Pacific side and closest to Panama City.   We had to be patient and wait until after lunch to go.  They move the largest ships during daylight and the smaller ships during the night.  There are ships locking through the Miraflores Locks early morning going from the Pacific toward the Caribbean and the ships coming from the Caribbean arrive at the Miraflores Locks starting usually around 3 pm.  They have a small museum and a short movie at the visitor center, but the main attraction is watching the ships lock through.  We watched two, the second of which is pictured here.  This one is a fully loaded Panamax Container ship, which means it is built to the maximum dimensions which can transit the current Panama Canal.  (A new larger canal is scheduled to open during 2014, the 100th anniversary of the Panama Canal opening)  This ship paid $343,000 for this transit of the canal.  A transit takes between 8 - 10 hours.  The Miraflores Lock has four chambers which lower or raise the ships in two steps each of about 27 feet each.  The tidal range on the Pacific side is pretty extreme at around 12 feet so the actual varies.

Enter Lock Chamber - Locomotives Keep Ship Centered

Lowered 27 Feet by Gravity

Lock Gates Opening

Exiting First Chamber Into Second Step

Tight Fit - Ready to Drop Another 27 Feet

WEB Cam - Panama Canal