The Panama Canal (Spanish: Canal de Panamá) is a 48-mile (77.1 km) ship canal in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean (via theCaribbean Sea) to the Pacific Ocean. The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. There are locks at each end to lift ships up to Gatun Lake (85 feet (26 m) above sea-level). The Gatun Lake was used to reduce the amount of work required for a sea-level connection. The current locks are 110 feet (33.5 m) wide. A third, wider lane of locks is being built.

         
       There are three sets of locks in the canal. A two-step flight at Miraflores, and a single flight at Pedro Miguel, lift ships from the Pacific up to Gatun Lake; then a triple flight at Gatun lowers them to the Atlantic side. All three sets of locks are paired; that is, there are two parallel flights of locks at each of the three lock sites. This, in principle, allows ships to pass in opposite directions simultaneously; however, large ships cannot cross safely at speed in theCulebra Cut, so in practice ships pass in one direction for a time, then in the other, using both "lanes" of the locks in one direction at a time.

   

       

             The lock chambers are 110 ft (33.53 m) wide by 1,050 ft (320 m) long, with a usable length of 1,000 ft (305 m). These dimensions determine the maximum size of ships which can use the canal; this size is known as Panamax. The total lift (the amount by which a ship is raised or lowered) in the three steps of the Gatun locks is 85 ft (25.9 m); the lift of the two-step Miraflores locks is 54 ft (16 m). The single-step Pedro Miguel lock has a lift of 31 ft (9.4 m). The lift at Miraflores actually varies due to the extreme tides on the Pacific side, between 43 ft (13 m) at extreme high tide and 64.5 ft (20 m) at extreme low tide; the tides on the Atlantic side, however, are very small.

             The lock chambers are massive concrete structures. The side walls are from 45 to 55 ft (14 to 17 m) thick at the bases; towards the top, where less strength is required, they taper down in steps to 8 ft (2.4 m). The centre wall between the chambers is 60 ft (18 m) thick, and houses three long galleries which run the full length of the centre wall.

            The lowest of these is a drainage tunnel; above this is a gallery for electrical cabling; and towards the top is a passageway which allows operators to gain access to the lock machinery.   

        

             Sabi nila di ka matatawag na seafarer kung di mo pa nararanasang dumaan sa Panama Canal. Unang experrience international swerte at ang unang barkong nasakyan ko ay dumaan sa panama canal. 

                

    Transisting panama canal ay isa mga mga alaala di ko malilimutan,Ito ang mga larawang ako mismo ang kumuha sa loob ng panama canal.       

                    Lahat ng barkong dumadaan sa panama canal ay dumadaan sa tatlong lock, at ito ay hinihila ng tren gamit ang cable wire na nkakabit sa unahan ng barko at likuran bahagi ng barko.na siyang tumutulong pra makadaan ang barko ng ligtas.