The Site is a saltwater lagoon that features small islands, numerous lakes and temporary waterbodies; sand spits separate the bay from the Black Sea. It was originally designated in 1976 by the Soviet Union as part of the Site “Danube Delta and Tendrov/Yagorlitz Bays”. In 1995, after accession of Ukraine, that Site was split into three: Tendrivska Bay, Yagorlytska Bay (Ramsar Site no.116)  and Kyliiske Mouth (Site no.113). In 2021 the boundary of Tendrivska Bay was delineated more accurately, increasing the total area by over 17,000 hectares. It is important for birds owing to its location at the crossing of flyways, ice-free waters during winter and diversity of habitats. More than one percent of the regional populations of sandwich tern (Thalasseus sandvicensis) and great white pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus) can be found. The Site also provides habitat for the endangered common predatory bush-cricket (Saga pedo), and important fish such as the sturgeons Huso huso and Acipenser stellatus. In recent years water quality in the Bay has improved after a reduction in the influx of drainage waters and the expansion of the Black Sea Biosphere Reserve area to include the deep-water part of the Tendrivska Bay. Human activities include fishing, recreation, and conservation. As part of the Black Sea Biosphere Reserve, the Site is significant for long-term monitoring and scientific education.