In Genesis, what did Noah see the dove carrying after it left the Ark?

In Genesis, Noah saw the dove return carrying an olive leaf.

Genesis 8:11 says the dove came back to the ark in the evening with a freshly plucked olive leaf. The sign showed Noah that the Flood waters had fallen enough for vegetation to emerge or become reachable.

The episode follows an earlier test with a raven, which Noah released after the ark came to rest. He then sent out the dove repeatedly. When the dove later failed to return, Noah understood that the land was becoming habitable.

The olive branch or leaf became a widely recognized symbol of peace and renewal, although that later symbolism is broader than the original passage. Genesis itself presents the leaf first as practical evidence that the waters were receding.