Did you know that every year, about 14,600 ships pass through the Panama Canal?

The canal is the most important waterway on Earth as it brings the United States closer to both Europe and Asia and connects the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic. It’s, therefore, essential for the shipping industry.

But how does the Panama Canal work? In order to enter the canal, ships approach from the sea, then several tugboats attach a towline to incoming cargo ships and move them into alignment with the canal locks’ narrow entrance.

Once a cargo ship is firmly within a lock, a tugboat stays behind to make sure it does not move.

The lock gate behind it then closes. Meanwhile, the lock gate ahead gradually opens, displacing water at a steady pace.

This raises the ship so it can then enter the next lock, where it will eventually join Gatun Lake.

The ships then pass through Gatun Lake and head toward a different but similar set of locks on the other side, where the process is repeated.

This process must remain gradual, as this keeps the water flowing at a manageable rate.

It takes a ship about 11 hours to make it through the Panama canal, with most of that time spent waiting for other ships to pass. Has this process piqued your curiosity?

Do you want to know how the Panama Canal was built? Do you want to find out more about the science, engineering, and technology behind this great waterway?

Then, do not miss our video.

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