A speed limit of 10 knots (about 18.5 km/hr) has been imposed by the Panama Canal Authority on transits in the Gulf of Panama.
The Gulf is on the southern side of the Canal.
The Authority has imposed the restriction following the recommendation of the International Maritime Organization which States that
“to reduce the potential risk of collisions between ships and whales in the Gulf of Panama, a seasonal speed restriction of 10 knots is to be established from 1 August to 30 November each year and northwards of latitude 8° 00’.0N”.
This recommendation applies to both lanes of the Traffic Separation Scheme in the Gulf of Panama.
June Data
The Authority notes that, on average, there were 31 to 32 ships arriving daily for transit, with a high of 44 and a low of 18. There were a total of 971 ships that used the Canal, of which vessels with a beam between 91 feet to 106 feet were by far the biggest category, accounting for about 56% of all transits.
