Two journalists have been found among a group of asylum seekers who landed on Christmas Island by boat.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Immigration and Citizenship said the pair disembarked from a suspected irregular entry vessel (SIEV) on Monday before revealing themselves as journalists.

"These people had valid travel documents and held Australian visas and they were immigration cleared on arrival," she told AAP.

"One of the journalists is American and the other is Dutch."

The spokeswoman said no further details were available.

But Customs and Border Protection Command said a vessel carrying 57 passengers and two crew was detected overnight north of Christmas Island.

Most vessels intercepted off Christmas Island set out from Indonesia.

This latest arrival follows a vessel on Sunday with 88 passengers and two crew on board.