"In his early Golden Age appearances you find out right away that he has the ability to breathe underwater and superhuman strength enabling him to swim at high speeds. He was also shown to have the ability to communicate with sea-life and have them do his bidding. Initially, he was depicted as speaking to sea creatures "in their own language," and only when they were close enough to hear him rather than being telepathic in nature. While he was often described as the "sovereign of the sea," with the waters of the entire globe his "domain," and almost every sea creature his "loyal subject," the title was never an official one.
Aquaman's adventures took place all across the world, and the only base he appeared to have was "an ancient temple of lost Atlantis, kept underwater," in which he kept a solitary throne.There was also a structure called the "Aquacave", a dry series of caves in which he kept the "Atlantis Chronicles", although it is unclear if this is distinct from the ancient temple, or the same location.