What was the first sign Noah saw that the Flood waters were receding?

The first sign Noah saw that the Flood waters were receding was the appearance of the mountaintops.

Genesis 8:5 says that the waters continued to decrease until the tops of the mountains became visible. This occurs before Noah’s bird tests. After waiting, Noah sent out a raven and then a dove to learn whether the surface of the ground had dried.

The sequence is easy to mix up because the dove returning with an olive leaf is the best-known visual symbol of the Flood story. In the biblical chronology, however, the mountaintops appear first. The olive leaf comes later, after the dove’s second flight, and dry land is confirmed still later.

Genesis describes Noah observing the conditions from inside the ark. It gives specific intervals between some events, including the opening of the ark’s window and the later departure of the animals. These details make the appearance of the mountaintops an identifiable stage in the narrative rather than the final sign of safety.