You can only comprehend the immensity and heroic complexity of the Panama Canal by making the crossing yourself. And there’s no more luxurious or insightful way to uncover its history and ingenuity than aboard a Ponant expedition ship.
It took 65,000 workers 20 years to build the 50-mile Panama Canal from Panama City to Colón. Its completion in 1914 cut weeks off a journey that once sent ships around South America. Far more than an economic boon and the world’s most renowned shortcut, the canal today remains one of history’s great engineering feats, ranked one of the seven wonders of the world by the American Society of Civil Engineers.
As you might imagine, an epic project such as this is the culmination of an epic history. Here’s a taste of what you’ll learn as you explore this manmade wonder aboard a Ponant luxury small ship.
Early Visions of a Path Between the Seas
Dreams of a canal connecting the Pacific and Atlantic date back to 1534. That was when Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain, wanted an easier route by which to transport Peruvian gold and other riches back to Europe. As the narrowest point between the two oceans, the Isthmus of Panama was the logical site. Later, Thomas Jefferson proposed Spain should construct a waterway since, at the time, that country still owned the land. Plans were drawn for the project as early as 1793.
Though Peruvian gold first inspired cutting through land, it was California gold that reinvigorated the plan. By 1848, gold had been discovered in California. Two American businessmen cashed in on the craze – William H. Aspinwall, who operated Pacific steamships from New York City to Panama, then from Panama to California, with an overland route between the two Panamanian ports, and American business magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who started his own steamship company. In 1855, the opening of the Panama Railroad made the land trek easier and faster.
From Suez to Panama
In the meantime, canals were being completed all over the world, shortening sailing and merchant routes. Mr. Jefferson, who served as Minster of France in the late 1700s, was no doubt aware of the intricate network of manmade waterways that threaded their way through the French countryside. The Erie Canal through central New York State was completed in 1820. And all eyes were surely on Egypt, where the Suez Canal would break ground in 1859.
The French diplomat who developed the Suez Canal—Ferdinand de Lesseps—combined his profits from that project with funds he raised in France and the U.S. to begin construction on the Panama Canal in 1881. He had wanted a sea-level canal like the Suez, but the topography would not allow it. Regardless, the project was a disaster, beset by intense rain and landslides, raging rivers, venomous snakes, yellow fever, and malaria. Some 200 workers died each month. By 1889, the project was abandoned, with thousands of lives and millions of dollars lost.
The United States Takes Over
Eventually the United States bought the French assets related to the canal, inheriting an infrastructure in complete disarray. Officials replaced the old and outdated equipment and put insect elimination procedures into practice to cut down on mosquitoes, which had been recently discovered to carry yellow fever and malaria. In addition, plans were drawn up to work with the topography instead of against it, creating a series of locks on the
Pacific and Atlantic sides of the canal that would lift ships inland and deliver them to a central manmade lake.
Construction was completed in 1914 and the canal opened on August 15. The cargo and passenger ship SS Ancon was the first vessel to make the triumphant crossing.
By the late 1990s and early 2000s, container ships were growing in width and length. Officials estimated that by 2011, 37% of these new leviathans would not fit through the canal. In 2016, after a nine-year project, two new flights of locks opened to accommodate the larger vessels.
A Thrilling Ponant Expedition
Of course, Ponant gives you a front-row seat during a luxury cruise on a small expedition ship. Crossing today’s Panama Canal ranks high alongside other once-in-a-lifetime events. There’s no one better equipped to help usher you through than Ponant. Relaxing aboard our luxury expedition ship, you’ll enjoy enlightening commentary as you are raised and lowered through the Miraflores, Pedro Miguel, and Gatun Locks and as you cruise across Gatun Lake.
But it’s not all about the crossing. Alongside the canal, the lush rainforest of Soberania Park hosts a profusion of birds, home to the largest number of species ever identified in a 24-hour period. Of the 500 species known to take wing here, 360 were spotted. Do be sure to pack your binoculars!
We invite you to cross the Panama Canal on board the luxurious small ship Le Bellot!