My favourite water hero is Colapesce (Nicholas the Fish), the hero of an ancient sicilian legend
Colapesce is the most loved and known sicilian legend. Colapesce, son of a fisherman, spent his days swimming in the sea. One day his mother, tired for his dull behaviour, throw him a spell. So Cola became half man and half fish and never came back to the land. One day the king of Sicily heeard about his story and wanted to meet him. He went near Messina, where Colapesce lived, and threw in the waves a golden cup. Cola took it from the submarine abyss and told the king what marvellous things he had seen. The king threw in the sea his crown and Cola took it and told that he had found out that Sicily was surrepted by three huge submerged columns. One was ruined, the other was in bad condition, just one was good. The king didn't believe him and threw, for the third time, his golden ring in the sea. Cola, although exausted, dived again, and stood there for eternity to support the last column. His sacrifice saved Sicily from collapsing into the sea. He's supposed to be still there, and that's why Sicilian people love him so much.