The idea of the flood, as described in Scripture, is widely mocked but there is no reason why that should be so. A careful reading of what the Bible actually says and what science actually reveals would point up no obvious contradiction. For example thousands of fossils of deep sea creatures have been found in the Austrian Alps, presumably left there following the flood. Generally speaking most fossils are better explained by a great flood than by evolution.
As for Noah's ark, there is no reason to doubt the story as long as we remember how very large the ark was, the need for only a limited number of species to be on board (eg all varieties of dog known today coming from the original pair) and the fact reptiles and dinosaurs go on growing and so only babies were necessary not huge examples of grown adults.
