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This is a pretty cool timelapse video shot of the Miraflores Lock in the Panama Canal over a 12 hour period.

The Miraflores Lock is one of three locks on the Panama Canal and is located on the Pacific side just passed the Bridge of the Americas.  It is a two-stage lock system that is 1.1 miles long and lifts (or lowers) vessels a total of 54 ft at mid-tide.

For those of you that are unfamiliar, a lock is used for raising or lowering boats between stretches of water of different levels.  The distinguishing feature of a lock is a fixed chamber whose water level can be varied, rather than the chamber itself be lowered or raised.  It’s a pretty easy concept and a great illustration on how a lock works can be found HERE.

A live camera of the Miraflores Lock as well as other points of interest along the canal can be found HERE.

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