Orlando Fernández

Orlando Fernández De La Crúz, a.k.a. "Aquaman Boricua" (born 1971), is a long-distance swimmer and the first Puerto Rican swimmer to cross the Strait of Gibraltar.

Early life and education Orlando Fernández De La Crúz was born in Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico. There he received his primary and secondary education. Fernández learned to swim when he was four years old at the swimming pools of el Escambrón and Sheraton hotels in San Juan. He learned to surf by the age of ten. In 1996, he earned a bachelor's degree in marketing from the Universidad Metropolitana.

Career The Strait of Gibraltar as seen from space. (North is to the left: The Iberian Peninsula is on the left and North Africa on the right). Fernández holds various records in long-distance swimming, among them the long swimming records of 20 kilometers at Key West, Florida, and 25 kilometers in Indiana.

Fernández was inspired and motivated to represent his country in international swimming events by his long-distance swimming coach Marcos Díaz, a native of the Dominican Republic. When he decided to attempt the crossing of the Strait of Gibraltar, he requested and received the help and training of Pedro Díaz. Díaz coached Fernández on the physical training required before and after the crossing of the strait.

Personal life Fernández currently resides in Hato Rey, San Juan, Puerto Rico.