Panama Canal
About Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is an artificial 82-kilometer (51-mile) waterway in Panama that connects the Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean. It cuts across the narrowest point of the Isthmus of Panama, and is a conduit for maritime trade between the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. Locks at each end lift ships up to Gatun Lake, an artificial fresh water lake 26 meters (85 ft) above sea level, created by damming the Chagres River and Lake Alajuela to reduce the amount of excavation work required for the canal. Locks then lower the ships at the other end. The original locks are 33.5 meters (110 ft) wide and allow the passage of Panamax ships. A third, wider lane of locks was constructed between September 2007 and May 2016. The expanded waterway began commercial operation on 26 June 2016. The new locks allow for the transit of larger, Neopanamax ships. An average of 200,000,000 litres of fresh water is used in a single passing of a ship. The canal is threatened by low water levels during droughts.
On the show · 24 mentions total
The adventurer Richard Halliburton swam the Panama Canal in 1928.
from 115: No Such Thing As A Hummingbird Pilot · read transcript
More facts about Panama Canal
One swimmer crossed the 77 kilometres of the Panama Canal in 21 hours and 54 minutes, and the governor of the Panama Canal Authority gave him a certificate declaring him an honorary vessel.
No Such Thing As A Hummingbird Pilot · listen
The Panama Canal offers priority passage, so when queues build up, once a 90-ship, seven-day backlog, ships pay extra, around 220,000 dollars, to jump the queue.
115: No Such Thing As A Hummingbird Pilot · listen
A newspaper headline from when Halliburton swam it read: Alligators Annoy Author Swimming Panama Canal.
No Such Thing As A Hummingbird Pilot · listen
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Coordinates: 9.0801, -79.6800