Seagulls have found themselves in starring roles since the live streaming of the Sistine Chapel chimney began at the 2005 conclave.
In 2013, during the conclave to elect Pope Francis, a seagull which perched on the chimney, ended up trending on social media.
Memes were created and the 'Sistine Seagull', "live tweeted" the conclave from the bird's perspective.
As hours rolled by last night - before smoke emerged to signal the result of the first vote - seagulls appeared on camera providing some levity.
One gull perched on the roof for a lengthy period, was commended on social media for its patience in waiting for smoke to emerge.
As people watched and waited, speculation and conjecture about what was going on inside the Sistine Chapel was rife.
Due to the secretive nature of the conclave, it may be difficult to determine what happened on day one.
Some questioned if Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa, whose meditation inviting the cardinals into a space of prayer and discernment beforehand, ran over the 10 minute allotted time.
As time ticked by, others tentatively questioned whether one of the cardinals could have possibly reached a two-thirds majority on the first vote. A situation unheard of for centuries.
Or could the Camerlengo Kevin Farrell have decided to go ahead with a second ballot on the night?
"It would be a very Irish approach to it all - to get it done," one person remarked.
Black smoke eventually billowed from the Sistine Chapel at 8pm Irish time, offering an answer.
Cardinals could not reach a two-thirds majority.
They would return to the Sistine Chapel for the next round of voting which begins this morning at 9.30am Irish time.
If no candidate is elected, they will move to a third ballot before lunchtime and if no one is elected on that ballot, black smoke will again signal that result.
The voting process will continue in that vein with smoke rising twice a day.
If a cardinal reaches the majority, white smoke will be the first signal that a new pope has been elected.
However, considering that there are 133 cardinal electors from around the world - the process is bound to take time.
After all, it is the largest number of electors in history.
It has led to questions as to whether cardinals will be able to complete the task within three days, as many of them predicted.
Or will those watching the Sistine Chapel live stream end up being absorbed by the activity of Vatican seagulls for a bit longer.
