Gerhard Christiaan Coenraad (Gerrit) Pels Rijcken (10 January 1810 – 2 May 1889) was a career officer of the Royal Dutch Navy and a politician.

Pels Rijcken was born in Princenhage, Netherlands, where his father was sheriff as well as an alderman of nearby Breda.

He entered the Royal Dutch Navy, becoming a midshipman in 1826, and rose through the ranks by serving on several vessels.

From 1855 to 1857, Pels Rijcken was assigned as commandant of the Nagasaki Naval Training Center, teaching the principles of a modern naval science (navigation, cannonry, ship-handling) to samurai including Katsu Kaishu.

He arrived as captain of the Gedeh which accompanied the steam warship, the ZM SS Soembing, a gift from King William III of the Netherlands to Shōgun Tokugawa Iesada.