In Genesis, what was Noah’s first recorded act after the Flood waters had dried?

In Genesis, Noah’s first recorded act after the Flood waters had dried was removing the Ark’s covering.

Genesis 8:13 says that in Noah’s six hundred and first year, on the first day of the first month, the waters had dried from the Earth. Noah then removed the covering of the Ark and looked out, seeing that the surface of the ground was dry. The family and animals did not leave immediately; Noah waited for God’s command.

Later in the chapter, God tells Noah to leave the Ark with his family and to bring out every living creature. This creates an important distinction between observing dry ground and actually departing. The dove’s final non-return had already suggested that the land was becoming habitable, but the narrative still gives Noah a specific sequence of actions.

The event is easy to confuse with opening the Ark’s door. Genesis mentions a door in the construction instructions, but the post-Flood observation specifically says Noah removed the covering before he received the command to leave.