Webinar

Learn to Draw Humpback Whales

May 2026

Join us for our Learn to Draw to kick off our summer! For this webinar, we will be diving in the deep end to talk about these migrating marine mammals. Humpback whales have some of the longest migrations, traveling up to 5,000 miles between cold and tropical waters each year. This means that the humpback whales that we see in the summer have often travelled from Central America, South America, and the Hawaiian Islands.

Dr. Julius Csotonyi will walk us through a detailed drawing of these whales and discuss the pressures that they face throughout their ocean travels! Mala Sharma from Ocean Wise Canada will be joining us to share about these aquatic mammals and the initiatives Ocean Wise is pursuing to protect whale habitats. We will learn more about their lifecycles and how they help contribute to ecosystem balance.

Explore resources from the webinar

Send your artwork to your local representative to help care for at-risk ecosystems. You can find your local representative here.
Call for a provincial law that prioritizes biodiversity and ecosystem health. You can send a letter using our letter-writing tool.
Get to know humpback whales through our worksheet about their lifecycles and diverse populations. This educational resource is filled with fun facts and activities, including drawing, crossword puzzles, and word searches!
Learn how to say “whale” in the language of the Indigenous community on whose territory you live. Visit FirstVoices.com to find words, songs and stories about the ocean from different First Nations.
Learn more about our education program.

Meet the Speakers

Dr. Julius Csotonyi

Dr. Julius Csotonyi is a scientific illustrator and natural history fine artist. He has a scientific background in ecology (MSc) and microbiology (PhD) which has taken him to study sensitive ecosystems, from sand dunes in the Rocky Mountain parks to hydrothermal vents at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.

These experiences have fuelled a strong resolve to work toward preserving the earth’s biota. Painting biological subjects is one means that he uses to both enhance public awareness of biological diversity and to motivate concern for its welfare.

He paints murals and panels that have appeared in numerous museums (e.g. the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History), press release images for scientific publications, books, stamp sets (e.g. the 2018 “Sharks of Canada” set for Canada Post), and coins for the Royal Canadian Mint. His work is viewable on his online gallery, http://csotonyi.com

Mala Sharma

Mala Sharma is an environmental educator and coordinator at Ocean Wise. She is honoured and grateful to connect with people and children around the world to discuss ocean literacy and lead conversations with a more optimistic lens. Being in the education and sustainability realm can often create a lot of eco-anxiety and has many barriers. She looks forward to continuing to find new, creative, and innovative ways to overcome those challenges and inspire a new generation of conservationists!