Gros Ventre was an armed storeship of the French Navy. She is notable for taking part in the First voyage of Kerguelen and for her subsequent solo mission of discovery to Australia. Anse du Gros Ventre was named in her honour.
Gros Ventre was built at Bayonne on plans by Léon-Michel Guignace, on plans by Jean-Joseph Ginoux, as a 16-gun armed storeship.
In 1768, she was at Brest, first under count de Roquefeuil-Montpeyroux, who sailed her to Amsterdam, and later under La Brizollière In 1769, command of Gros Ventre went to Beaumont, who sailed her from Rochefort to Toulon, calling Lisbon on the way, along with her sister-ship Tamponne. In 1771, she was under Faurès.
In 1772, Gros Ventre was at Isle de France (Mauritius). On 20 August 1771, Berryer arrived at the island, under Lieutenant Kerguelen, tasked with a mission of exploration to seek new territories South of Isle de France. Kerguelen abandoned Berryer and requisitioned the 24-gun fluyt Fortune and Gros Ventre to continue his mission. Fortune and Gros Ventre started by surveying a new route to the Coromandel Coast discovered in 1767 by then-Ensign Grenier, of the corvette Heure du Berger. Then, on 16 January 1772, Gros Ventre and Fortune departed for the First voyage of Kerguelen, Gros Ventre under Saint Aloüarn.