Wreck of missing ship found off Bahamas

Searchers believe they have found the wreck of a cargo ship that sank in The Bahamas during Hurricane Joaquin with the loss of 33 crew.

A search team has found what it says is the wreck of a cargo ship that sank in Hurricane Joaquin. (AAP)

A search team has found what it says is the wreck of a cargo ship that sank in last month's Hurricane Joaquin with the loss of 33 crew.

"The vessel was located at a depth of about 15,000 feet in the vicinity of [its] last known position," the National Transportation Safety Board said in an email.

A search vessel detected the wreck using sonar on Saturday, and will deploy a remotely operated sub to confirm its identity as early as Sunday, it said.

The 224-metre-long El Faro was bound for San Juan, Puerto Rico with a crew of 28 US citizens and five Poles, when last heard from October 1 near the Bahamas, as Joaquin was gaining strength over the archipelago.

A full search with up to five planes, a helicopter, three cutters and three tugboats, as well as US Navy and Air Force resources, failed to find the boat after it lost communications.

One body was found October 5 in an immersion survival suit floating about 55km northeast of the Crooked Islands, Bahamas, along with an oil sheen and debris, including a heavily damaged life boat with El Faro markings and a partially submerged life raft.