Passengers aboard Oceania Vista enjoy a sunny day cruising through Gatun Lake on the Panama Canal on January 13, 2025. This freshwater lake is approximately 85 feet above sea level and was created in 1913 to provide water to the Panama Canal. There are a number of islands in the lake, the largest of which is Barro Colorado, which was created as a research station for the Smithsonian Institution. The lake carries whips 33 km across the Isthmus of Panama.