The area's natural environment is home to a number of species of migratory and resident birds, fishes, crustaceans, sea turtles and other wildlife.

The estuary is among the most pristine ecosystems along Nicaragua's Pacific coast,[citation needed] and consists of a number of lagoons and inlets, which are dominated by large tracts of mangroves.

Estero Padre Ramos is also one of two primary hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) nesting habitats in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

In the eastern Pacific Ocean, the species is extremely rare and as recently as 2007 most researchers thought hawksbills had been completely eliminated in this region of the world.

[5] The discovery of hawksbill nesting in Estero Padre Ramos and Bahia Jiquilisco (El Salvador) changed the conservation outlook for this imperiled population and has provided renewed hope for recovery.