Barro Colorado Island & The Panama Canal
It was August 15th, 1914 when the S.S. Ancon made the first transit through the Panama Canal, making a reality what the French dreamed about long before. The success of the construction of the Panama Canal was due to several reasons, including the vision of a lock canal instead of one at sea level. By damming the Chagres River, the biggest river on the Caribbean side, the Gatun Lake was created as the biggest man-made lake of the world at that time. Holding more than 4.3 trillion gallons of water this lake is now the secret and the main reason the canal works today. As the water filled behind the dam it became Panama’s biggest resource, water, which became the main fuel for the working of this incredible passage.
The creation of the lake, made an ecosystem in the surrounding areas, creating different islands in what used to be mountain peaks, and also by restraining different species to the involuntarily man made islands. In the middle of the lake lies the biggest island, Barro Colorado Island, became a protected and studied area since 1923. After 1946 it became one of the most important centers for the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, where until today, researchers from all around the world make their studies in tropical ecosystems. Today we had the opportunity to explore this huge open air laboratory, guided by different scientists, we came to realize the amount of studies currently being.
After this magnificent and educational exploration of Barro Colorado Island we cruised through the rest of the Panama Canal heading for Gatun Locks on the Caribbean side. We then descended 85 feet from the lake to the ocean. Our great trip ends here but our memories will remain forever.
It was August 15th, 1914 when the S.S. Ancon made the first transit through the Panama Canal, making a reality what the French dreamed about long before. The success of the construction of the Panama Canal was due to several reasons, including the vision of a lock canal instead of one at sea level. By damming the Chagres River, the biggest river on the Caribbean side, the Gatun Lake was created as the biggest man-made lake of the world at that time. Holding more than 4.3 trillion gallons of water this lake is now the secret and the main reason the canal works today. As the water filled behind the dam it became Panama’s biggest resource, water, which became the main fuel for the working of this incredible passage.
The creation of the lake, made an ecosystem in the surrounding areas, creating different islands in what used to be mountain peaks, and also by restraining different species to the involuntarily man made islands. In the middle of the lake lies the biggest island, Barro Colorado Island, became a protected and studied area since 1923. After 1946 it became one of the most important centers for the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, where until today, researchers from all around the world make their studies in tropical ecosystems. Today we had the opportunity to explore this huge open air laboratory, guided by different scientists, we came to realize the amount of studies currently being.
After this magnificent and educational exploration of Barro Colorado Island we cruised through the rest of the Panama Canal heading for Gatun Locks on the Caribbean side. We then descended 85 feet from the lake to the ocean. Our great trip ends here but our memories will remain forever.
