In Genesis, what was the first sign that the Flood waters had receded from the earth?

In Genesis, the first sign that the Flood waters had receded was that the mountaintops appeared.

Genesis 8:4 says the Ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat, and Genesis 8:5 states that the waters continued to decrease until the tops of the mountains became visible. This happens before Noah’s bird tests, including the raven and the dove.

The sequence matters because the emerging mountaintops provide the first visual indication that the waters are falling. The later dove episodes test whether vegetation and dry land are available beyond the Ark.

The text does not say that Noah immediately left the Ark when the mountains appeared. He waited for further instructions and for the ground to become dry. This distinction is often compressed in children’s retellings, which may present the Ark’s landing and the family’s exit as nearly simultaneous.