Located in Odesa Oblast in the south of Ukraine, the estuary includes an ornithological game reserve and the Tylihulskyi Regional Landscape Park situated on the East coast.

Tylihul is one of the purest estuaries (brackish lagoons) on the northwest coast of the Black Sea,[3] although there are some ecological concerns related to the existence of the bottom ammoniac tube and due to intensive fertilizing of the surrounding agricultural fields.

[citation needed] Until the end of the 1960s the estuary consisted of almost fresh water, while by the 1970s it was taking more and more salinity from the Black Sea, changing its flora and fauna gradually.

Even in the summer the number of tourists is relatively low, though numerous private houses (dachas) were built on the western coast of the estuary in the 1980s and 1990s.

The estuary of Tylihul is well-suited for many out-door activities, such as kitesurfing and windsurfing, annual international competitions are held on the east coast.