Sea of Okhotsk. (Wikimedia Commons/HO)

A ship carrying 635 tonnes of gold ore has disappeared off the coast of Russia.

The cargo carrier Amurskoe and its nine crew members disappeared in the Sea of Okhotsk on Sunday night, Russia Today reports.

Three ships, an aircraft and a helicopter were deployed to look for Tamurskoe. By nightfall, the search was called off on account of poor weather and waves up to four metres high.

Searchers returned Monday morning. An Mi-8 chopper and two trawlers joined the effort.

The Amurskoe left the village of Neran in Russia's Far East Khabarovsk territory and was headed toward Okhotsk in the Sea of Okhotsk, according to the newspaper.

Soon after the vessel entered the Sea of Okhotsk Sunday night, it sent out a distress signal and hasn't been heard from since.