Five bodies with their hands and feet bound have been pulled from the ocean near a popular tourist destination.

The Civil Guard in the Balearic Sea reportedly recovered the remains off Majorca in Spain over the past month, with police launching an investigation into the circumstances surrounding their gruesome deaths.

It is believed they may have been migrants attempting the perilous crossing from Algeria.

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Many other bodies have washed up after other ocean crossings turned tragic but it appears the people found tied up were likely murdered.

One of the bodies was found on May 18 after a vessel in the water around Formenterra raised the alarm, Daily Mail reports.

It was recovered two hours later by the Civil Guard Río Segura, and was found wearing a life jacket with the hands and feet tied.

A few days later another body was found in the same patch of water. Others were found floating in different parts of the ocean around the Balearic Islands, bringing the total body count to five. All had their hands and feet bound.

The corpses have reportedly been examined by Civil Guard agents and forensic doctors who have taken DNA samples and finger prints in the hope they can be identified.

Civil Guard investigators believe the migrants could have had a confrontation during the crossing and then been tied up and thrown into the ocean.

The Balearic archipelago is a hotspot destination for migrants making the dangerous ocean journey from nearby countries including Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco.

Spanish media have dubbed the beaches of the Balearic archipelago a graveyard after 30 bodies were found in the area that includes Majorca, Ibiza and Formentera.

The Balearic archipelago is a hotspot destination for migrant crossings, with at least 2695 people arriving in 130 boats, just this year.