Mason Donny

Mason grew up in California's central valley and frequently visited Monterey with family to appreciate the wildlife. Some of Mason's earliest memories include exploring tidepools with grandparents, going deep sea fishing with their grandfather, and dreaming of becoming a marine mammologist.

Mason attended a local community college in the central valley before pursuing a bachelor's degree in biology with a minor in statistics at CSU - Monterey Bay. They later earned a Master's Degree in Environmental Science from CSUMB, where they developed a passion for mapping software and coding. Nowadays, Mason often dedicates their free time to self-funded projects such as analyzing sand size changes over time at Monterey beaches, setting up a peregrine falcon live cam, and creating coding and statistics guides.

Mason currently works at Monterey Bay Whale Watch as an Education and Outreach coordinator, Data Manager, and GIS Intern coordinator. In addition to being apart of the California Killer Whale Project team member Mason is also the Data Manager for the local chapter of Surfrider and assists with beach cleanups and environmental awareness.