A West Australian doctor holidaying on Christmas Island has been found by search teams after being reported missing in dense tropical jungle since the weekend.

Key points: Katherine Comparti got lost in the jungle after trying to return to her car

Katherine Comparti got lost in the jungle after trying to return to her car She conserved her energy in a cave before help arrived two days later

She conserved her energy in a cave before help arrived two days later Dr Comparti was in a good condition after eating snacks and drinking cave water

Katherine Comparti, a doctor from the South West WA town of Narrogin, had been surviving on water from a cave and a handful of snacks when she was discovered after an extensive search and rescue operation.

Authorities were alerted on Sunday after a company she had used for recreational diving reported her missing.

Dr Comparti's mother, who lives in Bunbury, also contacted police when she did not receive a routine text message her daughter had made a habit of sending during her week-long break on the remote Indian Ocean island.

A large search and rescue team combed the area until Dr Comparti was found on Monday morning. ( Facebook: Kath Comparti )

Dr Comparti had been exploring inside a cave on the island's south coast on Saturday morning when she lost her bearings in the dark, and realised she could not find her way out again.

She spent the rest of the morning frantically searching for a way out, before deciding to conserve her energy in the cave until search teams could find her.

A frantic wait for rescue

Dr Comparti said "everything you could imagine" crossed her mind over the next two nights.

"I pretty much just bunkered down and tried to stay calm until the lovely community of Christmas Island rallied around and set off the alert," she said.

Dr Comparti conserved her energy in a cave until search teams could find her. ( AAP: Mick Tsikas )

"It was really difficult to get a comfortable position.

"There was not a lot to do. I had a bit of food that I was still rationing and was trying to keep an eye on my watch, which glows in the dark."

A search and rescue team comprising officials from the Australian Federal Police, Parks Australia, Australian Border Force, fire services, the Australian Defence Force, as well as island locals spent Sunday combing the area until Dr Comparti was found early on Monday morning.

A remote and inhospitable outpost

Christmas Island is a remote Australian territory located a few hours south of the Indonesian island of Java and is home to many unique animal and bird species who live across the island's sprawling jungle.

The roughly 1,100 people who live on the island inhabit only the north-eastern corner, with much of the rest of the island protected by a national park.

Katherine Comparti had been exploring the island's southern coast when she became lost. ( AAP: Mick Tsikas )

Dr Comparti described a phone call with her family following her rescue as "very, very emotional".

Sergeant Richard Gough from the Australian Federal Police, who is based on the island, said rescuers found Dr Comparti tired and hungry, but in good condition on the whole.

"She was able to walk out of the cave system with the assistance of a national parks member," Sergeant Gough said.

"She had a lot of scratches and bruises all over her, and she obviously hadn't slept or eaten for a couple of days, but she was able to drink water given the cave system had fresh water in it.

Dr Comparti was due to fly home via Perth on Tuesday afternoon after undergoing medical checks at the Christmas Island hospital.