The way they swim is the way I feel some days, covering miles and miles without getting anywhere at all.
Whirligig beetles are in the Family Gyrinidae. This group has been in the same spot for several days, next to a dock, swimming like crazy but never moving more than a couple of feet away. I can relate.
There are couple of important differences between whirligig beetles and Quill Gordon, though, besides the obvious. Whirligig beetles have two sets of eyes, one above the water surface and one below, allowing them to watch for enemies and prey in most any direction. The eyes are compound eyes and I imagine the final image must be pretty confusing, which might explain why they swim the way they do.
The other difference? When handled roughly, Quill Gordon does not smell like pineapples.
The View from Fish in a Barrel Pond 
They smell like pineapple when you rough them up? I smell like adrenaline and fury.
Has this been thouroughly tested with an olafactory specialist?
Ina, I promise to not scoop you up in a net when you go swimming by.
Rob, I am an olafactory generalist. I think I lost a portion of my smelling ability when … Oh, heck you were probably there.
I totally relate to this.