Mick Fanning rescues fish on the before going for a surf at Rainbow Bay

WORLD champion surfer Mick Fanning has gone from punching a shark to saving a fish during a surf at Snapper Rocks this morning. SEE THE PHOTOS

WORLD surfing champion Mick Fanning revealed his conservationist streak on the beach at Rainbow Bay today.

The recently retired three time world champion was spotted rescuing a small fish which had become stranded on a sand bank after a surf at Snapper Rocks.

Champion surfer Mick Fanning shows off his inner conservationist by rescuing a fish stranded on a Gold Coast beach. Photo: Leisa Oakes @natures_jewel

Champion surfer Mick Fanning. Photo: Leisa Oakes @natures_jewel

Amateur photographer Leisa Oakes started snapping shots of Fanning when she saw him trying to pick up the slippery fish.

Champion surfer Mick Fanning during his fish rescue this morning. Photo: Leisa Oakes @natures_jewel

“I wondered what he was doing, then I realised he was trying to pick up this little bream which had flipped up onto the sand,” said the Tweed Heads resident who goes by @natures_jewel.

Mick Fanning with fish. Photo: Leisa Oakes @natures_jewel

“It kept slipping out of his hands so he started scooping up with sand on to his board.

“He eventually got it back into the water, it was pretty funny.”

Fanning is an ambassador for WildArk, a conservation group that aims to protect as much of the world’s biodiversity as possible.

Mick Fanning completes the fish rescue. Photo: Leisa Oakes @natures_jewel

“He’s gone from punching a shark to saving a fish — I thought it was quite a nice thing to do,” Ms Oakes said.