There's been a lot of fear lately for Hawaii beachgoers, as recent shark sightings and attacks have led to the closing of several beaches.

With all of the recent media attention, Hiilani Shibata, Bishop Museum's education operations manager, feels it's the perfect time to learn more about sharks—“;get a better understanding of how they live,”; she said. “;Sharks are not there to harm people ... they are not human-eating machines.”;

The museum's new exhibit, “;Megalodon: Largest Shark That Ever Lived,”; is just the thing to help to get rid of some of the misconceptions that revolve around sharks.

“;We are scared because of 'Jaws,' but the ocean is their home,”; said Shibata. “;And, there are way more sharks in the water than we realize.”;

An abundance of sharks and top predators in the waters may in fact be a good thing: They could be signaling that island reefs are getting healthier.

“;The sharks wouldn't be around if there wasn't sufficient food,”; she said. “;If sharks weren't around, the reefs would become unhealthy. They're an important balance of the food chain.”;

The new traveling exhibit from the Florida Museum of Natural History provides a variety of interactive displays along with facts on keeping our oceans healthy and maintaining the survival of threatened species. Scientists estimate that 100 million sharks, skates and rays are killed each year, making it difficult for populations to bounce back.

Museum visitors will gain perspective on just how enormous sharks once were as they wander through the belly of the 60-foot long Megalodon shark sculpture. The display also features models of several other sharks, including the 22-foot long great white, which Shibata says can swim from California to Hawaii in a matter of days.

“;The great white looks like a small reef shark in comparison to Megalodon,”; she added.

Sharks have been in existence for more than 400 million years (200 million years before dinosaurs), Shibata says, and megalodon is among the most highly studied prehistoric sharks in the world.

It's also quite popular. Although the creature is extinct, it still appears frequently today in books, movies and on jewelry. A custom-made silver pendant, for instance, is among the Megalodon-inspired objects on display.

According to Shibata, one of the “;cooler”; features in the exhibit is the four sets of Megalodon jaws that show the growth pattern of sharks that were 30- to 60-feet in length.

Families visiting the exhibit can stand of front of the large jaws for a perfect family photo opportunity.